Laughter: Still the Best Medicine

Who has not heard of the saying, “laughter is the best medicine?” Ever since you were a child, you have heard this expression over and over again but it is only after you have grown up and experienced problems and stressors that you have realized the real value of laughter and humor in one’s life. Aside from making life much more bearable, humor also has numerous positive effects on people’s health, both physical and mental.

Physical Benefits of Laughter

1. Laughter can strengthen one’s immune system. It strengthens immunity by increasing immune cells and antibodies that fight off infections. Therefore, it can improve your body’s resistance to diseases.

2. Humor can trigger the release of endorphins. Endorphins are body hormones that can boost one’s mood and even relieve pain temporarily.

3. Laughing increases energy and reduces muscular tension. One hearty laugh can actually reduce physical tension and stress in the body. It can relax muscles for up to 45 minutes.

4. Having fun can prevent onset of physical health problems such as heart ailments, cardiovascular problems, respiratory diseases, and hypertension. It protects the heart by improving the function of blood vessels and improves blood flow within the body’s system.

Mental Benefits of Laughter

1. Humor is a strong antidote to emotional pain and conflict. How many times have you tried laughing at your problems and being able to cope with them successfully? Probably many times before. It is a lot easier to deal with difficulties, loss, and frustrations if you infuse a little humor in it.

2. Laughter is also an effective way to manage and cope with stress. It can actually protect you from the long-term effects of over stress.

3. Laughing can have positive effects on relationships. Since humor is contagious (sometimes even more contagious than the common cough and cold), shared laughter can bind people, increase happiness, enhance relationships, and encourage intimacy.

4. Injecting humor into your life can add happiness, zest, excitement, and pleasure. It can help prevent psychological and psychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, anorexia, bulimia, and many others.

5. A humorous perspective can make you feel good about yourself. It can boost your self-confidence, give you a positive outlook in life, and generally, keep you emotionally and mentally healthy.

You cannot enjoy the benefits of laughter if you do not infuse humor into your life. If you have no idea how or you find it difficult to do so, here are some ways to get started.

· Smile. Smiling is the start of laughter and just like laughter it can also be very contagious. Practice smiling at people (even those you do not know) and you will notice a positive shift in your mood and outlook.

· Spend time with fun people. Try to stay away from people who have negative views about life and those who see negativity about everything. Spending time with people who know how to have fun and how to give out a hearty laugh will make it easier for you to have humor into your life.

· Count your blessings. It is easier to have a positive perspective in life if you can see clearly what the good things you have are.

· Make a joke, share it and laugh at it. There are over a million of jokes in this world. Some are corny but most are hilarious. Read them on joke books, watch gag shows, see comedy films, or research about jokes online.

· Laugh at your mistakes. Instead of grumbling how stupid you were when you tripped into that manhole, learn to laugh at yourself.

For many years, medical experts and researchers have explored how humor can be instrumental in treatments and stress relief. Some studies even conclude that humor-oriented people are less prone to health problems than those who are constantly stressed and depressed. Truly, laughter does have numerous positive effects on the mind and body so it would be a good way to inject your life with fun and humor. And the best thing about it is that it is free and easy to use.