#Laughing #Joy #Fun #MentaHealth #Mindfulness #Emotions Amusement and pleasant surprises – and the laughter they can trigger – add texture to the fabric of daily life. Those giggles and guffaws can seem like just silly throwaways. But laughter, in response to funny events, actually takes a lot of work because it activates many areas of the brain : areas that control motor, emotional, cognitive, and social processing. As I found when writing “ An Introduction to the Psychology of Humor ,” researchers now appreciate laughter’s power to enhance physical and mental well-being. Laughter’s physical power People begin laughing in infancy when it helps develop muscles and upper body strength . Laughter is not just breathing. It relies on complex combinations of facial muscles, often involving the movement of the eyes, head, and shoulders. Laughter – doing it or observing it – activates multiple regions of the brain: the motor cortex, which controls muscles; the frontal lobe, which helps you un...