Hands up who likes a good laugh. Who doesn’t?! Laughter is an expression of emotion...joy, surprise, nervousness and amusement. But because we do and hear it so much, we can forget how strange and mega important it actually is.  

 

Did you know...?

 

• Laughter is a signal we send to others and it disappears when there's no one else around. Ask a mate to laugh. She probably can't on command. Or if she can she should probably get a job on Hollyoaks.

 

• Girls tend to do more of the laughing and boys tend to do most of the laugh seeking. Chances are the class clown will be a boy.

 

• Laughter is contagious. If you've ever had a case of the giggles, you know how hard to control laughing can be. It always seems to be those moments when you’re supposed to be totally serious that the giggles get you, right?

 

• By the time a child reaches preschool, he or she is laughing around 300 times a day. By the time that kid grows up, he or she will laugh only about 17 times a day. How sad!

 

• Laughter raises our heart rate and blood pressure and even helps soothe intense pain. How crazy is that?! In one scientific study, surgery patients who watched funny videos requested fewer painkillers than another group who watched dramas.

 

So if you’re feeling stressed, a good belly laugh could be exactly what you need.