Laughter
If quarantining from the Covid pandemic has taught me anything, it’s this: comedies are no joke. As many of us experienced this shared frustration, we struggled to find ways to cope. Watching at least one comedy a week might have been one of the most important new habits I developed. It gave me a much needed break from thinking about all the loved ones I wasn’t seeing, the events I was missing, and the high risk individuals I was always concerned about. More than anything, those comedies gave me laughter and that laughter was darn good medicine.
Laughter has many documented health benefits, some of them short term and some of them long term. Immediately following a good guffaw, you’d find that your lungs had taken in an increased amount of oxygen rich air (we all breathe more deeply when we laugh) and that your brain was releasing more than it’s normal amount of endorphins (Mayo Clinic, 2021). Laughing works your diaphragm, abs, shoulders, and even your heart (Scott, 2020). While that’s going on, it would also have activated and relieved your stress response by raising your heart rate and blood pressure then lowering them (Mayo Clinic 2021). Think of laughing like a good, hard swim for your body. It leaves you with the same relaxed and content feeling.
Over the long haul, LOLing has even more benefits! It has the power to boost your immune system, help you feel more connected, and improve your mood (Mayo Clinic, 2021). There’s a yiddish proverb that says, “What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.” Nothing wipes the slate clean or gives us that feeling of a fresh start like a good, strong laugh.
How can we harness the power of laughter in our own lives? First, we have to look for it. We tend to find what we’re looking for, so if we start looking for more humor in our lives it’s likely to turn up. Also try to prioritize spending time with people who tend to make you laugh. Not everyone is naturally witty or funny so if you have a friend who is, make sure to tell them how much you appreciate that part of their personality (Scott, 2020).
Another way to inject some laughter into your day is to do what I did and sit down for an occasional comedy. One of my daughters loves to ask if she can watch crazy cat videos with me on Youtube. Sometimes we laugh until we cry over those silly clips! There are also lots of games out now that are designed to make us laugh. Take a stroll through the aisles of your local Target and pick a game or two that your friends or family can try together. Whatever approach you choose, we can all be thankful that laughter comes 100% natural and side-effect free!
References:
Stress relief from laughter? It’s no joke. (2021). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456
Scott, E. (2020). The health benefits of laughter. Very Well Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/the-stress-management-and-health-benefits-of-laughter-3145084
Challenges/Points:
Laughter has numerous health benefits for us and it’s completely free.
When you feel down or overwhelmed, use laughter to help lift your spirits.
Watching comedies, talking with friends who have a great sense of humor, or learning how to be silly again are all ways we can invite more laughter into our lives.
Questions:
Do you have as much laughter in your life as you’d like to?
Who is one of the funniest people you know?
What’s the last movie you watched that made you really laugh hard?
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