Endorphin

Endorphin masks pain with a euphoric feeling. It promotes survival by easing an injured mammal’s escape from danger. But the endorphin stops in a short time because pain is the useful signal that an injury needs protection. Endorphin evolved for emergencies only. We are NOT designed to inflict pain on ourselves to enjoy it – that creates a bad loop because more pain is always needed. Fortunately, you get a bit of it from a belly laugh or healthy exertion, and a bit is enough.

You have probably heard about “runner’s high.” The fact is that runners to not get high with every run. They must run to the point of pain to trigger it, and that is not a good survival strategy. We are designed to seek the other happy chemicals, but to save endorphin for emergencies. We need regular exercise, but we do not need a regular pain-induced high.

Laughter is a great solution to this natural urge. Laughing stimulates a bit of endorphin as it jiggles your innards. It’s just for a moment, but you can fill your life with lots of these moments. More on how to do this in my all of my books. Find a brief introduction in this blog post, Three Ways to Medicate Yourself With Laughter.