Laughter is the Best Medicine
The above videos are some of the funniest things I have ever seen, especially given that it’s all an act. So don’t feel bad about laughing. The top video is just a clip from the talk show, while the bottom one shows how it was all apparently real. But it’s not. If you don’t believe me you can read about it here. The fact that the second video is fake as well, makes this all the more brilliant. The one part that I don’t think is fake however, is the laughter. It’s pretty obvious that the laughter is real since the guy is laughing from his stomach.
I hope you all found this as funny as I did. I have watched this over and over for two days now and I am still laughing. Laughter has always been something that has been a very important in my life. Without it I could not have survived. Laughter is the ultimate way of relieving emotional and physical stress. I have lived a very solitary life, but that has not stopped me from laughing. I have laughed at myself on countless occasions. Laughter has many health benefits, including the following:
- Boosts the immune system by decreasing stress hormones and increasing immune cells.
- Triggers the release of endorphins or ‘happy hormones’, increasing your state of well-being.
- Protects the heart by improving the functioning of blood vessels and increases blood flow.
- Relaxes the whole body, decreasing physical tension and stress, leaving your body relaxed for up to 45 min.
These are just the physical health benefits. Laughter also increases mental health and it has social benefits as well. Some people have used laughter alone to heal serious illnesses like cancer. In the movie The Secret there is a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer. She didn’t use any conventional medical treatment to get healthy. She basically just focused on laughter all day and didn’t allow any thoughts about disease enter her mind, and the cancer spontaneously disappeared. Laughter is clearly a very potent type of medicine.
But I think laughter is something spontaneous and can not be forced. Personally I hardly ever laugh when someone tells a joke. It has to be an in-the-moment kind of thing. Therefor I can’t give you a recipe on how to laugh more. But the following can be used as a guideline:
- Smile – Smiling is the beginning of laughter. Like laughter, smiling is contagious and draws more things to smile about towards you, and finally more things to laugh about.
- Count your blessings – By being grateful for what you have in your life you create a positive state of mind and don’t allow negativity to creep into your mind. This in turn will make it easier to laugh. It is much easier to laugh from a positive state of mind than a negative one.
- Seek out laughter – This doesn’t mean you have to consciously go out there and look for things to laugh about. Just be open to it and intend it. It will come to you.
- Surround yourself with the right people – By surrounding yourself with fun, playful people you improve you increase your chances for laughing more. Negative, serious people don’t laugh as much.
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