When is the last time you remember having your belly hurt from a really good laugh out loud? Was it a day, week, month, year, or ten years ago? The sad part is that many of us go through our day all work and no play and miss out on the joy that life has to offer. We are stressed out from our jobs, family responsibilities, the happenings of the world. Despite life having its challenges, give yourself permission to have fun, see the beauty in yourself and others, and don’t forget to laugh…often. It’s good for your health!
Laughter is Good for Our Health
We’ve heard the phrase before that “Laughter is the best medicine.” Literally speaking, laughter releases “happy hormones” in the body called endorphins that help relieve pain and decrease stress. These are the same chemicals that are released when we exercise, make love, and eat pleasure foods, among other things. Furthermore, a study conducted showed that people who watched around 15 minutes of comedy increased their pain threshold by 10 percent compared to those who didn’t watch any comedy.1
Laughing helps slow down the aging process. My grandfather lived to 97 years old and had the best sense of humor from everyone I’ve known. He knew how to tell a good joke and to also not take matters so seriously. My great uncle is 101 years old and always has a smile on his face. He looks at the bright side of things, despite experiencing loss and disappointment throughout his life.
The Signs of People Who Are Anti-Laughter
Here is some food for thought. People don’t want to be around Debbie Downers or naysayers. You can tell right away who these people are. They don’t know how to loosen up and enjoy a good laugh. Oftentimes, they complain about most, if not everything, and talk about what is wrong with the world. You know how it goes, “Misery loves company.” They can talk you out of having a good time. These types are more immersed in bad things and what is going wrong than they are looking for the beauty beside them and the hope for a happy today and happier tomorrow.
If something good is going on in your life, these people don’t celebrate your victories. Instead, they try and change the subject or give you the silent treatment. When something goes wrong, they are the first to jump in and banter on about it. Like that is going to do you any good. When you are around these people, they can certainly weigh you down and put a damper on things. They can ruin the mood in the room with one flap of their vocal cords.
How to Get Your Daily Dose of Laughter
What I am trying to say is that staying joyful and being happy takes a daily dose of laughter. On my way to and from work, I always listen to something that is uplifting, inspiring, and funny. It sets the mood for the entire day and reinforces my mood halfway through the day. That’s a good one hour a day, five hours a week, twenty hours a month and around 240 hours a year of humor and uplift that I receive just by choosing to listen to these kinds of messages. Driving is certainly not a time to kill, but rather a time to heal.
We are not designed to constantly be stressed out and worrying about things. Our minds need a rest from the chatter, the distractions, and the worries of life. Sometimes we can give our bodies a rest, but our minds are still on overdrive. We can physically be in one place, but mentally somewhere else. We are on the beach getting a tan, while talking on the phone with a potential client. We are playing a round of golf with our friends, yet checking our phone for incoming messages, tweets, and posts.
Before you go to bed, I would recommend to do something funny. My wife got me hooked on making short videos on Snapchat. I never knew my voice could go so low or high. I never knew I could have a face that made me look like I’ve raidedt an entire Dunkin’ Donuts. If it’s watching a funny television show before you go to sleep or some funny videos on YouTube, getting a good laugh in before bedtime will help you get a more restful and uninterrupted sleep, which promotes healing and plenty of energy for the next day.
If you are looking to regain joy and happiness into your life, download my new program “30 Days to Finding You.” I walk you through my 10-Step Personal Happiness Formula that you can apply to your life, starting today. Click here to learn more.
To More Joy and Lots of LOL!
Sources:
- Welsh, LiveScience Jennifer. “Why Laughter May Be the Best Pain Medicine.” Scientific American, 14 Sept. 2011, www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-laughter-may-be-the-best-pain-medicine/.
