“Laughter
is the best medicine” – one of life’s essential mottos, and more true than you
might realise. Laughter boosts your immune system, helps your mood, diminishes
your perception of pain and, when shared, can strengthen and create bonds
between us: and that’s just the tip of the iceberg…So here’s a piece explaining
why we should value our ability to laugh, and why it’s one of life’s most vital
(and healing) ‘basics’.
Why is laughter the best
medicine?
When we
laugh, we release ‘feel good’ endorphins, our ‘happy chemical’ serotonin and
also increase the oxygen supply to our vital organs. This creates a general
sense of wellbeing, not only in our brains, but throughout our body. Having
a proper laugh can affect blood pressure, raise our heart-rate and generally
ease tension and stress. Laughing also boosts our immune system – studies have
shown that ‘happy thoughts’ can release neuropeptides which help fight stress
and illness. I made a video (a long time ago) talking about some of the other health benefits of laughter, including helping combat pain and boosting your (and
others’) mood. I also talk about how sharing humour and laughter creates a
sense of community and strengthens relationships with others. All in all, there are truly miraculous benefits to laughter.
…but I don’t feel like
laughing…
This is a
hard one to crack. If you don’t feel happy or relaxed, then the chances are,
you’re less likely to want to have a chuckle. However, I would make sure to
have some tools on standby for when you need a good giggle, but aren’t in the
mood. Does a particular film get you laughing? Do you have a friend who can
always, always, always make you roar? Now’s the time to put that DVD in, or call up that
friend. You’ll find that once you start laughing, it’s very hard to stop!
(caveat: obviously, if you are experiencing symptoms of depression or really
struggling to summon the desire to laugh – you should speak to a medical
professional and/or consider some sort of therapy. I am by no means suggesting
that laughter is a cure-all, just a great and natural mood-booster)
Okay,
okay – I get it…I should laugh more. But how do I add more laughter to my
day-to-day?
Here’s five ways:
Films/TV Shows:
Do you
think a particular comedian or actor is comedy gold? Does one particular TV
show tickle your funny bone? Keep a stack of DVDs nearby or record them on TV, so that you can guarantee you’re laughing within minutes.
Other people:
Finding
someone who shares your sense of humour, who you can be silly with and share a laugh is so important. Spend time with your favourite people and you’ll find
that you all benefit from shared humour. Laughter is infectious – use that fact
to your advantage!
YouTube videos:
There are
millions and millions of funny YouTube videos, perfectly designed to make you laugh. Does slapstick humour get you going? Does a cat ‘talking’ make you
giggle? Do you find video ‘pranks’ that go wrong make you laugh? A fan of innuendo bingo..? The world is
your oyster online, so get googling and you’ll be sure to find a video that you
can watch during your lunch-break that makes you laugh.
Go to a comedy club:
One of
the times I’ve laughed the most (that “I-can’t-breathe-my-face-is-going-to-crack-my-stomach hurts-I-think-I-broke-a-rib” feeling) is when I went to the Comedy Store in London.
I highly, highly recommend a night of stand-up or improv to inject some
laughter into your life.
Spend time with children
or pets:
I find
I’m always laughing or smiling when I’m around little ones and furry things.
The cute and adorable things they do never fail to amuse me. If you don’t have
a pet or a child to hand – borrow one! You’ll do your friends a massive favour
by offering to walk their dogs or babysit their children, and you gain a lot
too!
Do you make time to
laugh? What do you find really funny? Has your sense of humour changed? Are you
struggling to find things to laugh at right now? Let us know…
How to get in touch (and all that social media stuff)
