THE APHORISM “laughter is the best medicine” has been associated with the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” This ancient wisdom may indeed hold true, particularly when it comes to our physical and emotional well-being.
It’s true: laughter can be powerful medicine. It draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body.
Laughter strengthens the immune system, boosts the mood, diminishes pain, and helps protect us from the damaging effects of stress. Few things work as quickly or dependably as a good laugh in bringing the mind and body back into balance.
Humor lightens our burdens, inspires hope, connects us with others, and keeps us grounded, focused, and alert. It can also help us release anger and forgive more easily.
With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for overcoming problems, strengthening relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.
As children, we used to laugh hundreds of times a day. As adults, however, life tends to become more serious, and laughter becomes less frequent. By deliberately seeking more opportunities for humor and laughter, we can improve our emotional health, strengthen our relationships, find greater happiness — and perhaps even add years to our lives.
Laughter can boost the immune system. It decreases stress hormones while increasing immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thereby improving the body’s resistance to disease.
Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and may even temporarily relieve pain.
Laughter can also benefit the heart. It improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which may help protect against heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.
Laughter even burns calories. Okay, it is certainly no replacement for going to the gym, but one study found that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn approximately 40 calories. Over the course of a year, that could theoretically be enough to shed three or four pounds.
Laughter also lightens anger’s heavy load. Few things can defuse anger and conflict faster than a shared laugh. Looking at the funny side of a situation can put problems into perspective and enable us to move on from confrontations without holding on to bitterness or resentment.
Laughter may even help us live longer. A study in Norway found that people with a strong sense of humor outlived those who laughed less. The difference was particularly notable among those battling cancer.
More than simply providing respite from sadness and pain, laughter can give us the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult times, a laugh — or even just a smile — can go a long way toward making us feel better. And laughter really is contagious: simply hearing someone laugh can prime the brain and make us ready to smile and join in the fun.
Laughter can also shift our perspective, allowing us to see situations in a more realistic and less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help prevent us from feeling overwhelmed while also helping to defuse conflict.
Perhaps most importantly, laughter draws us closer to other people, and these human connections can have a profound effect on our mental and emotional well-being.
Laughter releases endorphins, often called “feel-good hormones.” It also increases our intake of oxygen-rich air and reduces stress hormones, helping lower the heart rate and blood pressure while allowing the muscles to relax.
But what if we feel we have no reason to laugh? Even then, we should try to express a little mirth and find reasons to be cheerful. We can start with the gentlest form of audible laughter — the vocalized smile. This is something I have learned and experienced since I first began traveling in Asia in 1978 and, later, when I settled permanently in the Philippines in 1999. Keep smiling — even when you are overwhelmed by enormous problems.
Experts also say that good humor works because it helps people feel more at ease. French psychotherapist Sylvie Tenenbaum has observed that, among her patients, laughter often signals the beginning of a healthy awakening to reality. Gallows humor may be viewed with doubt or discomfort by others, but sometimes we simply need to express what is inside us.
Try to sing out loud. Try to cry. But above all, try to laugh!
As a devout Christian, I love reading the Bible. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 reminds us: “There is a time for everything … a time to be born and a time to die … a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh!”
And perhaps that is one of life’s simplest lessons: there will always be a time for tears and difficulties, but we should never forget that there must also be a time for laughter.
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Email: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook, X (Twitter), or LinkedIn, or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com/PN
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