I believe that laughter is the best medicine. There’s 100% truth in this. Lots of laughter is therapeutic, keeps you healthy and kills stress. Did you know that six-year-olds laugh at least 300 times a day while adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day? No prizes for guessing why they always seem happy! Well, most of the time anyway!
Did you know that May 5 is World Laughter Day – to promote World Peace? This is celebrated on the first Sunday in May every year.
Lets dig deeper into why laughter is the best medicine
- Laughter lowers levels of stress hormones and makes your immune system stronger.
- A good belly laugh boosts your body’s ability to fight infections and protects you from disease.
- One minute of hearty laughter equals ten minutes on a rowing machine. WedMD
- When we laugh, our facial muscles stretch. Our pulse rate increases, making us breathe faster, sending an oxygen rush through our body.
- Laughter can balance blood sugar levels.
- Laughter helps you sleep better
- The endorphins (feel-good hormones) released after you laugh your head off can also reduce pain.
- Laughter is the best medicine for your heart. If you are anxious about something, laugh to increase your blood flow and guard your heart.
- Enjoy better relationships and communication by sharing laughter with your partner. Laughter dissolves differences most of the time and helps you bond better and stay connected. Find it hard to laugh? Just tickle each other!
- Guess what? Laughter burns calories and increases energy, helping you recharge.
- Laughter relaxes your muscles.
- Laughter is infectious and increases your happiness if you are lucky enough to catch it.
You can laugh for no reason at all. And don’t forget to laugh at yourself. Why take yourself seriously?
Laughter is the best medicine also because it brings emotional benefits:
- You are easy to approach
- You look friendlier
- You build rapport quickly
- You can see the funny side of things
- You look more attractive
- You are fun to be around
- You view things in perspective
- You see the lighter, brighter side of life
- You feel less overwhelmed
- You improve your mood instantly
- You feel good
- You are more spontaneous and less defensive
- You are less inhibited
- You find it easier to express your true feelings
Go ahead, create a “happy-demic”, gang up for a “joy cocktail!”
- Watch funny movies / cartoons
- Play with children
- Have fun with your pet
- Share jokes
- Do things that make you laugh
- Tickle each other
- Listen to a baby laugh – nothing as delightful!
- Smile
- Count your blessings
- Trigger laughter
- Develop your sense of humor
Some inspiring quotes about laughter
When you have a heartfelt belly laugh, all parts of your being – the physiological, the pyschological, the spiritual – they all vibrate in one single tune. They all vibrate in harmony – Osho
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Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face – Victor Hugo
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Laughter is a melody,
a concert from the heart,
a tickling by angels,
creative living art.
Laughter heals and comforts,
sometimes gentle sometimes bold.
Laughter is a freeing dance,
performed within the soul. – Serene West
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I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t laugh – Maya Angelou
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Laughter is the fireworks of the soul
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Laughter is an instant vacation – Milton Berle
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A day without laughter is a day wasted
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You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing!
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My wish for you:
Let us be off to Unknown Mami’s blog, and get our itineraries for this edition of Sundays In my City
Have a fabulous week, friends.
And remember,
Nothing better than a good laugh!!! Love this post!
Have you ever heard of “laughter yoga”? An facilitator helps you to laugh and laugh as a group. Your body doesn’t know the difference if you are laughing spontaneously or making yourself laugh…perhaps at first you are making yourself, then you’re laughing bcuz you’re laughing!
I love nothing better than to hear my blog spread a bit of that laughter good medicine to some bloggy reader.
Laughter truly is the best medicine. Nothing better than being able to laugh with friends and people you love!
I read recently Vidya that we should have at least three good laughs a day and that we can fake it, because our body can’t tell the difference.
Who knew?
Happy laughter day to you.
Love Elle
xoxo
Hi Vidya,
I didn’t know we had a ‘World Laughter day’. Great idea though. Always love a laugh. Thankyou for sharing this healthy dose of medicine.
Be good to yourself
David
Life Coach. Listener. Solution Finder.
What an informative post, Vidya. Happy Laughter Day to you as well. Did you smile today ;-)!
Vidya – I LOVE this post. Not enough emphasis is placed on the importance of laughter – sometimes I feel that they should be teaching teenagers and adults how to laugh again. I smile when I hear people laughing – especially when someone guffaws. Laughing is joy and a powerful healer…xxoo-Fran
Fantastic post! I love to laugh, and would be thrilled to be five and laugh 600 times each day. I know I laugh more than 15. I didn’t know there was a world laughter day. So many wonderful tips and quotes, my favorite was the one from Maya Angelou.
Rhonda @Laugh-Quotes.com
I’m laughing:) Love and hugs, Kaarina
Vidya,
I’ve always loved to laugh. I love the insurance cartoon;) Laugh on. xo
Thank you for the smiles that you spread around.. 😀
Big Hug to you..I feel warm chirpy and lighter 😀
Thank U thank U THank U sooo much Vidya ^~^
>Listen to a baby laugh – nothing as delightful!
So right! I feel utterly and completely delighted when I hear them laugh, even I don’t laugh back, they’re still smiling like goons, it’s so adorable 😀
Laughing makes life so much easier.
So true!! Laughter is the best medicine!
beautiful post 🙂
Laughter is wonderful but we can get so serious about life as adults. I think children are great reminders of how to have fun in life. They find the silliest things funny. Thank you for your fun-filled page Vidya 🙂
I also believe laughter is an instant vacation. We have formed a group on Whatsapp and the idea is to share a lot of laughs through out the day. Loved this informative post, Vidya!
happy world laughter day to you too 🙂
Smiling is one of the greatest gifts that God has given us. Smiling enlight us,illuminates all around us and makes our lives more fulfilling and blissful. 😀
P.S Don’t forget search for my Tanjore dancing doll! 😀
That’s why I love Wodehouse and my Luci. Both give me much laughter 🙂
Fantastic blog – great reminder. You should try your hand at writing a ‘self help’ column Vidya:-)
Vidya – you are the best for sharing “World Laughter Day!” There is nothing like a good laugh with friends to brighten the whole week!
xo
Karen
Vidya, this post has taught me things I used to know but have forgotten long ago. Laughter is such a good medicine and just people don’t seem to remember to use it. I know that I don’t use it nearly enough.
It is so true that laughter can turn almost anything around. This is a great post.
Thank you, Nicci! 🙂
Thanks for the informative and inspiring post. laughter sure brings in a lot of change in your physical appearance as well as your mental makeup. Am glad, my 5 year old gives me a whole lot of reasons everyday to laugh and smile…
And yes, we do tickle a lot!! 😀
Five-year olds are the best, Kajal. They come up with the funniest things and the best part – they look serious, wondering what’s so funny! Tickling is great fun too!:D Thanks for commenting.
Have you tried laughter yoga? Its a really cool way to de-stress and rejuvenate. Even though your laughter begins artificially, since you are in a group, you get so involved,it becomes difficult to stop laughing in the end.
PS: Telling this from my experience 😉
Yes, Bhavya! laughter yoga is real fun. After the initial strangeness at simply laughing, it is a fantastic experience. We have a few groups that get together regularly. And yes, I definitely have a problem stopping! 😀 Thanks for sharing!
Good post as always. For the same reason I chose L for laugh and not L for love during the challenge. Its so imp to even laugh off our worries
GOOD DAY VIDYA
Laughter is one of the easiest ways to disperse our worries, Afshan! 🙂 Hugs!
Don’t know about World Laughter Day, but I do know how integral laughter is to healthy living! Like that Victor Hugo quote.
Yes, laughter is a great health-equalizer! Apparently World Laughter Day was initiated by a Mumbai Physician 😀 Who knew? Thank you for your comment!
This is no laughing matter – cachinnation, mirth and merriment are indisputably good for you.
Chandra Senan
Literati Publishing
Well said, Chandra. Gosh, I had to go look up “Cachinnation” you know. I am glad I do a lot of that! Thank you for visiting. 🙂
Loved this, Vidya! Laughter is indeed the best medicine. I loved the way you treated the subject too: physical benefits, emotional benefits, how to laugh more. As soon as I write anything that mentioned laughter, I’ll link to this post.
Personally, I find most of life pretty funny. I think once we stop taking ourselves so seriously, laughter comes a bit more regularly. I know I spend a lot of time laughing at my own idiosyncrasies! 🙂
World Laughter Day? Who knew?!
I’ve missed you, Ken! But now I am back 😀 I too find that laughing at self is very very therapeutic, once we get over the silly notion of not being adequate. Or even too much!
Yes, World Laughter Day. Only in India. And spreading like a happy epidemic world-wide.
Hugs – and look out for an email from moi!
Hi Vidya
What a joyful post! We surely need more laughter in our lives. I would rather watch something on TV that makes me laugh or smile. Do not like dramas, life is already full of enough of that without adding depressing violent shows to our TV programming.
You can never be mad if you are laughing, it is so rejuvenating and helps you forget all the problems in your life, at least for the moment.
Mary
Thank you, Mary! beautifully said! Hugs!
I would add to that list to read your blog, Vidiya! Great post and great tips. Laughter is so so so important, especially when you feel like life has handed you a hard card. The more you can laugh in the darkest situations the easier your life will be. I know that laughter has saved me many times and I remember laughing through my tears on many occasions in the past. It makes it all better, even if it’s just for a moment of relief.
There you go, Anne-Sophie – I can barely see through that film over my eyes! What a lovely thing to say! I’ve found laughter can disperse many tense situations very easily, whether within us, or with others. Mostly, it changes our perspective on things. Thank you, again. And I am in love with your blog header photo, you know!
Awe, you’re so sweet, Vidya.
Boy you hit the nail on the head with this one Vidya. laughter is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
i have to admit I do find time to laugh every day. Sometimes it’s for no reason. My youngest daughter and I use to do that every night when it was just her and me. If we couldn’t find something to laught about we just laughed.
As for babies laughter it is the best. Love to hear them laugh and you can’t help but laugh when they do.
Thanks now I shall go laugh and smile.
Debbie, thanks so much – you are right about laughter being the best thing ever! I couldn’t imagine life without it. And the best company to laugh with is ourselves and our kids, followed by friends. I love it when we laugh for no reason. Huge hugs to you!
Yes Yes Yes
God gave us laughter & it is Oh-so-Sweet.
Better than Prozac!
Love you more than 7 fat tabby cats. Xxxx
Nice one Vidya. On most days my son and I watch something funny on TV before bedtime. It’s great to end the day with laughter.
Great post. We all need to laugh a lot more… be like children, have fun, enjoy life. Thank you Vidya for the uplifting post.
Laughter is a way to liven up your day…..