Couples who laugh together have a stronger relationship
The benefits of a sense of humor and laughter They are almost countless. Now, a new study highlights the fact that those couples who laugh together have a stronger relationship that other couples in which the sense of humor does not have an important place in their day to day, because laughter increases well-being.
The ability of a couple to laugh when they are together and the same things is a strong sign to predict the strength of a relationship, according to new research published in the magazine Personal Relationships by the researchers Laura E. Kurtz and Sara B. Algoe, psychologists from the University of North Carolina (United States).
Partner's wellbeing
The study has been based on 77 couples who had been in relationship for about four years. For the work, the researchers recorded videos of the couples while they remembered the first times they saw each other and they accounted for the spontaneous laughter, counting how many times the couple agreed on the laughter and how long the laughter lasted.
After this first step, each couple completed a questionnaire about the state of their relationship and their intimate life. After crossing the results of both parts of the study, a conclusion was reached: "couples who laughed longer together tended to have a higher quality relationship," explains Kurtz.
This conclusion has been reached because, he explains, during the study Couples who laughed together later assured that they felt closer and more supported by their partner. However, those couples in which laughter was observed between teeth that were not shared, "giggles" for low or false laughter after they were answered that did not augur a good future to the relationship.
Although the sample of work is somewhat reduced, the researcher defends laughter as "an indicator" to measure the quality of relationships between couples. "Women laugh more than men, but the laughter of men is more contagious," continues the psychologist, who adds that when a boy laughs "it is almost twice as likely that his partner will also end up with a laugh."
The sense of humor
All this is related to the importance of Incorporate a sense of humor into our day a day, both in relationships of work or friendship and within the home, in the family and in marriage.
Laughter has important benefits for our well-beingAnd, in fact, laughing makes us feel better, why not practice it more? These are others benefits of smiling and, above all, laugh, more often:
-A good laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving the muscles relaxed until 45 minutes later.
-Laughter decreases stress hormones and it increases the immune cells and antibodies that fight the infection, thus improving the resistance to the disease.
-Laughter causes the endorphin release.
-The endorphins promote a general feeling of well-beingr and can even temporarily relieve pain.
-Laughter protects the heart: Some indicators related to stress such as epinephrine and cortisone decrease during laughter.
-Laughter stimulates the immune system.
-Laughter increases the antibody production and the activation of protective cells that produce cellular immunity, important to prevent the formation of tumors
-Laughs of laughter improve mood, reduce blood cholesterol levels and regulate blood pressure
-Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect against heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
Angela R. Bonachera
