Having More Fun is Good for Your Health

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We are always being told to eat healthily and exercise for both our physical and mental well being. This is great advice, but having some fun is also good in many ways. It could be having a ‘kick around’ with a ball and the kids, or watching your favorite TV programme. As long as it is fun to you then the health benefits may be surprising, and in fact, this should be your number one priority.

Reduces Stress
Cortisol, which is sometimes called the ‘stress hormone’, spikes to an unhealthy level when we are anxious or upset.  It is meant to save us in a do-or-die situation, but at low levels of stress, it can cause you to gain weight and make it harder for your body to fight off infection or to heal itself.

The best way to reduce the levels of cortisol in your body is to have some fun. AGo to ticketoffice.com Comedy Show Tickets find a show you’d love to see and have a great evening out and cut that cortisol levels in your body right back, or spend some time watching old episodes of Friend, or maybe get together with your funniest pals and just laugh and you will feelk so much better.

Having fun will increase the level of serotonin your body produces. This is a chemical that regulates many of our basic functions such as sleeping, memory and mood. Activities that you enjoy help you to relax and naturally increase your level of serotonin.

All the time you are doing something active, your body will produce endorphins too. This chemical sends ‘feel good’ messages to your brain, which is another way that enjoying yourself can get rid of those dull feelings.

Better Coping Abilities
Stress will happen in everyone’s life but the better you are feeling the more able you will be to cope with it. You cannot spend all your time having fun, but taking time to do things you enjoy will make you feel better in yourself and the stress will not seem so bad. You will have reserves of calmness to tap into when a stressful situation arises.

Better Memory
When the levels of cortisol are reduced and you have more serotonin in your body, your mind will be more alert and you’ll feel more healthy. We have all had the situation of ‘going through the motions’ because we are worried about something. Taking time to relax and enjoy yourself reduces the lower levels of stress and frees up mental energy. This will improve your memory and make it simpler for you to concentrate.

More Energy
When you are stressed it is easy to get lethargic. Pain and stress can be physically and emotionally draining. Spending time with friends or family and doing activities you enjoy will lift you out of this type of mood. You will feel less tired and have more energy to do more fun things too. This is one of the circles of life, as the more energy you have the more you will feel like doing enjoyable things, which will give you more energy.

Better Sleep
Most people know how important sleep is to their mental well being, but it needs to be good sleep. Being in bed for 8 hours is not good enough if you are awake on and off all night.  Medical research has shown that laughing, relaxing and generally having fun helps to promote good sleep, which in turn will make any stress easier to cope with. You will feel and look better for having a good nights sleep.

Improved Social Connections
Connecting with others socially has great health benefits, and is particularly good when stress starts to overtake you.  Finding the time to chat and have a coffee with friends and family or to take part in some other social activity that you enjoy will boost your morale no end, and can do you more good than ant anti-depressants.

Social interaction is a basic need of humans and a lack of it can cause mental health problems that are difficult to overcome.

Positive Results Will Come
Having fun is like everything else to do with your well being. Eating healthily does not make you lose weight overnight and exercise will not tone your muscles the first day you do them. It takes time to see the improvements and the same can be said of having fun. The results tend to be quicker than the other two examples, but as time goes on so you will feel the benefits more.

For anyone suffering from stress, having fun, relaxing and doing things you enjoy can be the perfect start on the road of a more calm and enjoyable life.