By Mayo Clinic Staff

Whether you're chuckling at a sitcom on TV or quietly giggling at a meme, laughing does you good. Laughter is a great form of stress relief, and that's no joke.

A good sense of humor isn't a cure for everything, but research is growing about the positive things laughter can do.

有幽默感并不能治愈所有疾病，但越来越多的数据显示，笑可能会产生积极的作用。

开怀大笑有显著的短期效果。如果您开始大笑，不仅可以减轻精神上的负担，实际上还会引起身体上的变化。大笑可能会：

• 刺激许多器官。 大笑可以增加您对富含氧气的空气的摄入量，刺激心脏、肺和肌肉，增加大脑释放的内啡肽。
• 激活并缓解压力反应。 欢乐地大笑可以煽动而后平复应激反应，同时可能会导致心率和血压先升后降。结果如何？ 这会带来良好、放松的感觉。
• 舒缓紧张。 大笑还可能刺激血液循环，帮助肌肉放松，这些都可能有助于减轻压力导致的一些身体症状。

A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn't just lighten your load mentally. It actually causes physical changes in your body. Laughter can:

• Stimulate many organs. Laughter helps you take in oxygen-rich air, which stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles. Laughter also increases feel-good chemicals called endorphins that your brain releases.
• Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response. It also can raise and then lower your heart rate and blood pressure. As a result, you feel good and more relaxed.
• Soothe tension. Laughter also can stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation. Both can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.

Laughter isn't just a quick pick-me-up, though. Laughter also may:

• Help your immune system work better. Laughter can lower stress hormones that can weaken the immune system, such as cortisol. Laughter also boosts certain immune cells that fight illness.
• Relieve pain. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers. It also shifts your focus away from feeling uncomfortable.
• Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can make it easier to cope with tough situations. It also helps you connect with other people.
• Boost your mood. Many people have depression, sometimes due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen your stress, depression and anxiety. It also may make you feel happier. And it also can improve your self-esteem.

然而，大笑不仅能提神醒脑。长远来看，对您也有好处。大笑可以：

• 改善免疫系统。 消极想法会表现为化学反应，给免疫系统带来更大压力并降低免疫力，从而影响您的身体。相比之下，积极想法实际上可以释放神经肽，帮助抵抗压力和更严重的潜在疾病。
• 缓解疼痛。 大笑可以通过使人体产生天然止痛剂来缓解疼痛。
• 提高个人满足感。 大笑可以让人更轻松地应对困境。还可以帮助您与他人建立关系。
• 改善情绪。 许多人都有抑郁经历，抑郁有时是由慢性病引起的。大笑有助于缓解压力、抑郁和焦虑，让您更开心。还可以增强自尊心。

您是否担心自己幽默感不强或没有幽默感？ 没关系。幽默是可以习得的。事实上，培养或提升幽默感可能比想象中要更容易。

• 将有趣的东西放在视线之内。 找一些简单的物品，例如照片、贺卡或漫画等会使您咯咯发笑的东西。然后将它们挂在家里或办公室里，或将它们收集在文件或笔记本中。准备一些有趣的电影、电视剧、书籍、杂志或喜剧视频，以便在需要增添些幽默感时使用。在网上看看笑话网站或搞笑视频。听听幽默的播客节目。去喜剧俱乐部。

• 您笑了，世界也会和您一起开怀大笑。 找到一种方式来调侃自己的处境，看着压力慢慢消失。即使一开始会觉得很勉强，也要练习笑。这对您的身体有好处。

  不妨尝试一下大笑瑜伽。在大笑瑜伽中，人们会一起练习出声欢笑。起初发笑是被迫的，但不久就可能会变成是发自内心的。

• 分享欢笑。 养成和那些能带给您欢笑的朋友聚一聚的习惯。然后借花献佛地将这些有趣的故事或笑话分享给您周围的朋友。
• 讲敲门笑话。 在当地书店或图书馆阅读一些精选的笑话书，添加一些笑话至您的笑料清单，以便与朋友分享。
• 清楚什么不好笑。 不要把自己的欢乐建立在别人的痛苦之上。某些幽默形式是不合时宜的。运用最佳判断，辨别好笑话与烂笑话或伤人的笑话。

Are you worried that you don't have much – or any – sense of humor? No problem. Humor can be learned. In fact, growing or honing your sense of humor may be easier than you think. Boost your sense of humor with these tips:

• Surround yourself with humor. Find a few simple items that make you chuckle. Examples include photos, greeting cards or comic strips. Then hang them up at home or in your office. Or collect them in a file or notebook. Keep funny texts, memes, movies, TV shows, books or comedy videos on hand for when you need an added humor boost. Look online at joke websites or silly videos. Listen to humorous podcasts. Go to a comedy club.

• Practice laughing with others. Find a way to laugh about your own situations. Over time, this may ease your stress. Even if it feels forced at first, practice laughing. It does your body good.

  Consider trying laughter yoga. In laughter yoga, people practice laughter as a group. Laughter is forced at first, but it can soon turn into spontaneous laughter.

• Share a laugh. Spend time with friends who make you laugh. And then return the favor by sharing funny stories or jokes with those around you.
• Know what isn't funny. Don't laugh at the expense of others. Some forms of humor may be hurtful. Use your best judgment to tell the difference between a good joke and one that may hurt someone else.

Though laughter can help with managing stress, it's just one strategy. It's important to reach out to a licensed mental health professional for support if you're facing mental health concerns.

For now, though, go ahead and give it a try. Turn the corners of your mouth up into a smile and then give a laugh, even if it feels a little forced. Once you've had your chuckle, take stock of how you're feeling. Are your muscles a little less tense? Do you feel more relaxed? That may be one of the natural wonders of laughing.

来吧，试一试。嘴角上扬挤出微笑，然后大笑，就算有点勉强。咯咯笑后思索自己的感受。肌肉没那么紧绷了？ 感觉更放松或愉悦？ 这就是笑的自然魅力。