Why Bother to Laugh?

What if I were to tell you about a powerful remedy to gloom and doom that is absolutely free and 100% effective? Would you believe me? Would you be surprised if I told you that laughter is that powerful remedy that is 100% guaranteed to make anyone feel better at any time even under the most stressful circumstances?

      No Matter How You Say It

Saying that laughter is the best medicine has been stated by a variety of authors in many different ways. For example; a cheerful disposition is good for your health, a damn good laugh is damn good for you, a happy heart is good medicine and to laugh a little more might mean you live a little longer. However you say it, a good laugh does a body good.

According to serious scientific research, laughter attracts friends, extends life, increases oxygen to the blood, lowers the heart rate and somehow burns calories. It releases endorphins which are the natural feel good chemicals in our bodies. A good laugh will make us feel relaxed for up to forty-five minutes. Seeing life from the funny side decreases worry and increases our overall well being. 

Even if researchers have investigated the effects of laughter, if you’ve ever had a good belly laugh, you know for yourself what it does for you. A funny thought makes your heart feel a smidgen merrier. You feel good from the inside out. Your dire straits are forgotten even if for only a moment. 

You don’t have to be a comedian to make yourself or others laugh. Wit can be cultivated and at its best, is never about anyone else, but yourself.

 Growing up, I heard a lot of Polish and blond jokes, which at the time, made me the brunt of such jokes since I was at one time blond and I will always be Polish.

Keep in mind what makes you laugh. Anyone can be sarcastic and cynical. But that is dark humor. I appreciate the Lucile Ball type of humor. The gist of her funny side came from getting herself out of a dilemma that she somehow got herself into. 

I’ve often told my husband that I am his comic relief simply because of the things I seem to get myself into that he has to help me get out of. After forty years of marriage, he is finally seeing the truth of what I’ve been trying to tell him all along.

Hanging out with kids can also make us laugh. Their perspective is fresh and unburdened by the stock market or price of gas. When a kid sees something funny, it is likely we can too. We all have an uncanny ability to mirror what we see in others. That is why laughter is said to be contagious. 

So why bother to laugh? Laughter is a natural mood booster. It is a powerful remedy to gloom and doom. But, don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself. Go ahead, laugh.