I believe in the healing power of laughter.

First of all, the Bible says so. Let me repeat Proverbs 17:22 that says, A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones.

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 as medicine has been used way back in history.

As early as the 13th century, surgeons were already using laughter as their anesthesia to alleviate the pain of surgery. Imagine lying on an operation table for an appendectomy, and your doctor, carrying a scalpel, says, “We’re about to cut you up now. But first, let me tell you a joke. Knock, knock…”

In 1960, Norman Cousins got sick with a very painful sickness—and doctors didn’t know how to cure him. He decided to heal himself with laughter. So he watched funny movies in his hospital room—movies like The Three Stooges. And he got healed because of laughter.

At around the same time, Dr. ‘Patch’ Adams made his hospital rounds in a clown outfit, convinced that “joy is more important than any other drug.” And he too had a lot of success.

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.

Why? Because Laughter and anger are not compatible. Laughter and worry are not compatible. Laughter and sadness are not compatible. When you start laughing, you can feel worry, hurt, anger, and sadness drip away from your heart.

That’s why we like to laugh. When my friend Fr. Eric Santos celebrates mass, everyone is happy because we know we’ll be laughing in his homily. Actually, he doesn’t even have to do anything to make us laugh. We just look at his face, and we’re already laughing. After his homily, we learned and we laughed. What a great combination.

How To Bring More Laughter Into Your Life

Deliberately bring more laughter into your life—and you’ll be healthier. Below are a few suggestions to help you incorporate laughter into your daily lives.

1. Smile Often: I have a friend who likes to smile. People around him always ask, “Why are you smiling?” And he’ll say, “I don’t need a reason to smile. I just like to 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. One of my greatest blessings from God are friends who are mutants when it comes to humor. When I hang out with these funny guys and gals, they drain my stress away.

3. Laugh at Yourself: A few weeks ago, I was talking to a Canadian couple. They told me, “We have very close Filipino friends in Canada and we love them. Because they’re so happy. You guys know how to have fun!” That’s true. One reason? Filipinos know how to laugh at themselves. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We laugh when things don’t go as planned. We laugh when we fall, we laugh when we step on dog poop, we laugh when we make mistakes, we even laugh when there’s an armed revolt that wants to topple the government… When there’s a blackout in other countries, people get scared; When there’s a blackout in the Philippines, we go out in the streets and laugh with our neighbors…

4. Watch Comedy: One of my benefits of having small boys? I’m forced to watch funny movies, many of them cartoons. But many times, I end up laughing louder than them.

5. Count Your Blessings: Everyday, write a list of all the good things that have been happening in your life. Big things and small things! How your daughter sent an inspiring text. How a friend said “Hello”. How you saw a beautiful sunset this afternoon.

You were made to laugh, to celebrate, to be happy!

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez