A positive and epic April fool's day prank could actually do wonders for your health.
How Good Pranks, Jokes Could Be Good For Health
According to Sysan Albert, PsyD, a psychologist, a good laugh can help boost immune responses, reduce stress levels, and even prolong life.
Not to mention, humor needs intricate thoughts and complex interactions for other people. It could also be helpful in reinforcing and teaching social norms.
Humor, Cognition, and Social Skills
Humans are also not the only ones who enjoy these things. According to research, great apes, dogs, elephants, and certain bird species enjoy teasing as well. This shows that humor may have developed for millions of years in order to cater to social and biological needs.
Some humorous forms also require higher cognitive skills, as being funny implies the need to be creative.
As a person ages, from being a baby to growing older, their sense of humor also grows. Gradually, they begin to make silly noises and funny faces. They may also offer toys with the aim of eventually snatching them away. In such cases, these babies are taking in complex human behavior data, understanding this information, and applying what they were able to learn.
Such a process goes on for years. When children reach around 6 or 7 years of age, their sense of humor becomes more sophisticated. According to the cognitive stage theory of Paul McGhee, these children would have gained a deeper understanding of language, the ability to think of how their actions affect objects and other people, and the skills needed for mental representation manipulation.
Dr. Albers explains that developing a sense of humor is vital to one's growth. Losing a sense of humor could also indicate a mental health or medical concern.
As a person ages, it is crucial to maintain mental activity. Exercise and brain teasers could be helpful, but so can some giggles. Science is becoming even more clear in showing that when a person laughs longer, life becomes longer.
Dr. Albers also notes that good jokes and pranks are good for teaching social skills, such as understanding social norms, active listening, empathy, teamwork, self-confidence, resiliency, and boundary setting,
Laughter Is Good For the Health
Dr. Albers also says that a good joke or prank could lead to laughter. Studies have also shown that laughter could lead to great benefits for physical and mental health.
Moreover, from an evolutionary standpoint, laughter typically signifies that danger has already passed, in relation to the fight-or-flight response in the face of danger.
From a physiological standpoint, there are also three main chemicals that make laughter the best medicine. These chemicals are dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin.
Dopamine is the neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure and is part of the reward system of the body. It serves as positive reinforcement, wherein the body releases it to reward itself for actions that aid in survival. Similar to how sugar or fat can lead to a dopamine dump, laughter can also trigger a dopamine rush.
As for endorphins, they may explain why people feel good even after laughing so hard to the point of pain. These natural pain-relieving neurotransmitters help relieve stress and boost mood. When it comes to jokes, pranks, and laughter, it is likely that one may feel better after witnessing them. This is similar to the relieving feeling after a good cry, massage, or workout.
Oxytocin is also released by the brain when one laughs at a prank or joke. This bonding chemical, which is also referred to as the "love hormone," helps a person feel close to others. According to studies, humans usually talk, smile, and laugh more when with others than when they are alone. This is due to how it may serve as a "social grooming" form of some sort.
Positive Pranks
Dr. Albers also explains that it is still important to think about how one's actions could affect others, as punchlines could end up hurting others at times. The psychologist says that a well-done prank or joke is one that does not hurt or humiliate.
The psychologist recommends being aware of one's audience, being inclusive rather than exclusive, only making messes that one is willing to clean up afterward, sticking to the rules and legalities, and ensuring that the prank does not pose any health or safety risks.
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