I believe in the healing power of laughter.
First of all, the Bible says so.
Proverbs 17:22 says, A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones.
By instinct, we know that laughter is good. An Irish proverb says, A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.
So here’s my big question for you: How often do you laugh?
I believe that one reason why many people’s immune system is weak because they don’t have enough laughter in their lives.
Laughter Has Been Used To Heal
Laughter as medicine has been used way back in history.
Historical records show that surgeons in the 13th century used laughter to alleviate the pain of surgery.
During the 1960’s, writer Norman Cousins documented his journey to healing using laughter, curing himself from a debilitating illness in six months after watching funny movies in his hospital room.
What Happens To Your Body When We Laugh?
Dr. William Fry, psychiatrist and professor emeritus at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, showed that laughter increases heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen consumption, and works the muscles in the face and stomach.
He once claimed that one minute of laughter can lower his heart rate as well as ten minutes on the rowing machine.
1. Laughter Boosts Immunity
Every time we get stressed, our immune system weakens. Laughter may raise the level of infection-fighting antibodies in the body and boost the levels of immune cells, which translates to an improved resistance to disease.
2. Laughter Relaxes The Body
In Norman Cousins’ book ‘Anatomy of an Illness, Cousins shared that when he laughed for ten minutes he was able to have two hours of pain-free sleep. A good, hearty laugh can actually leave your muscles relaxed for forty-five minutes!
3. Laughter Decreases Pain
When we laugh, our endorphins (the body’s natural feel-good chemical) are released. Endorphins can temporarily relieve pain because it promotes a general sense of well-being.
4. Laughter Protects The Heart
A giggle or a loud laugh can increase the flow of blood throughout the body. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels, helping protect against cardiovascular problems.
How does Laughter Help Us Become Emotionally Healthy?
Laughter makes us feel good.
Laughing our heart out loud gives us a good feeling that lingers even after we have stopped laughing. Even just hearing laughter can make us smile and triggers our brain for laughter when we join the fun.
1. Laughter Dispels Distressing Emotions
Laughter and anger are not compatible. You can’t be anxious and sad while laughing. When you start laughing, you can feel all that worry, hurt and sadness crawling away.
2. Laugher Helps Recharge
Most people who live stressful lives hardly give out even a smile and usually end their day tired and drained. Laughter reduces stress and in the process, gives more energy, allow you to stay focused and be able to do more.
3. Laughter Improves Resilience
If you see things from a humorous angle, things don’t seem so difficult. Laughter helps difficult challenges look less daunting, allowing a more realistic and less threatening assessment of the situation. A humorous perspective can help avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Laughter Helps Strengthen Relationships
Remember: You’re happy only to the degree that your relationships are happy.
Laughter gives us a positive and optimistic outlook, even in the face of disappointments and difficulties. Laughter makes us feel good. A simple smile can go a long way – making you, or the person to whom you smiled, feel better.
When we share laughter with others, relationships get strengthened. It adds energy and a positive vibe to our relationships – be it with family, co-workers or friends. Shared laughter can give that needed unity during difficult times.
• Laughter teaches you to be more spontaneous and be less serious, helping you to relate better with others.
• Laughter helps you to let go of defensiveness and be more confident of yourself while foregoing judgments and criticisms.
• Laughter releases inhibitions and fears that hold you back from pursuing a full life.
• Laughter allows deeply felt feelings to rise up and be expressed with more confidence.
How To Bring More Laughter Into Your Life
Consciously bringing laughter into your life will help make you healthier. Below are a few suggestions to help you incorporate laughter into your daily lives.
1. Smile Often
A smile is contagious and gets you primed for laughter. You don’t need a reason to smile. Those who champion ‘laugh therapy’ teach that you can laugh even without seeing or experiencing something funny. It’s the same with smiling. If you see something that is even just mildly pleasing, smile.
2. Spend Time With Fun People
If you have small kids, have fun with them. Play games. Roll on the floor. Hula hoop. Dance!
And do you have grouchies around you? Avoid them if you can. One of my greatest blessings from God are friends who are mutants when it comes to humor. They’re so funny. When I hang out with these guys, they drain my stress away.
3. Take Yourself Less Seriously
Look for the humor in bad situations and learn to laugh at yourself. Surround yourself with fun stuff and things that make you smile. Accept that stuff happens beyond your control. Relax!
4. Enjoy Funny Movies, Books, Etc…
One of my benefits of having small boys? I get to watch funny movies, many of them cartoons. My favorites: Kung Fu Panda, Toy Story, Nemo, Monster Inc., Madagascar, Horton, Shrek, and Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs.
5. List Down Your Blessings
Make a list of all the good things that have been happening in your life. Update this list every day and see how this simple act of recognizing the positive stuff in your life will help you remove all the negative thoughts, allowing humor and laughter into your life.
You Need More Joy!
Your body was made to operate with the “oil of gladness” flowing through your veins, tissues, and cells. You were made to laugh, to celebrate, to be happy!
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
PS. This is one of the topics I shared to my Supporters Conversations in Facebook, and I’ll soon be sharing to my Youtube Supporters too.
To join my Supporters Conversations via FB, you can join via Facebook.com/BrotherBoSanchez and click the button “Subscribe”.
To join Suppporters Conversations via YouTube, you can join via YouTube.com/BrotherBoSanchez and click the button “Join” (when you use a computer)
