Photo by JR Korpa on Unsplash

August 29, 2023

10 Amazing Ways Laughing Makes Me Happy
I know laughing makes me happy. Yet, some may find that laughing doesn’t come easy, or say they don’t have a funny bone. Truthfully, most of us have experienced situations and times when laughter was the farthest thing from our minds or inappropriate. Yet, even during the worst days, I’ve found that laughing makes me happy. There’s something uniquely healing about laughter that works wonders.

Laughter is Good for Your Health
Numerous studies show that laughter benefits physical and mental health and well-being.  This happens regardless of age or condition.

When you laugh, your body and mind soak up these benefits like a sponge. Knowing that laughter is good for your health is another amazing way laughing makes me happy.

Laughter Decreases Stress – Everyday life is filled with stressors, sometimes inescapable, other times self-imposed. The stress hormone cortisol is the culprit, and it builds with mounting stressors. Research shows that laughter and humor can help alleviate stress and improve memory in older people.

Spontaneous Laughter Improves Well-Being – Other studies of spontaneous laughter found that this laugh type is associated with significantly reduced cortisol levels. Researchers suggest laughter as a potential therapy for improving well-being.

Laughter Improves Mood – And the mood lift is nearly immediate. No wonder laughing feels good.

Physiological Changes Occur After Laughter – Among the many physiological changes from laughing, heart function improves, muscle tone shows improvement, and inflammation decreases after laughing.

Laughing Makes Me Happy: It Feels Great
There’s something about laughing that makes me feel great. It doesn’t matter if the laughter is side-splitting, a mere chuckle takes a while to bubble up, or results in a laughing jag.

Most people associate laughter with social connections, family bonding, treasured memories, and beautiful experiences.

When you laugh, you’re not anxious or threatened. Laughter is comforting, safe, and warm.

Laughter is Contagious and Fun to Share
We always told jokes in my family. There was never a barbecue, holiday, or weekend get-together without everyone trying to outdo themselves with their latest joke routines. Of course, our TV time included comedy shows and movies. The more outrageous, the better.

My biggest joke-telling hurdle was remembering the punch line. The adults would roll their eyes and snicker when I flubbed, but they encouraged me to keep telling jokes. Still, everyone laughed.

My delivery improved with considerable practice. These experiences taught me that laughter sweeps through a group and affects everyone. Seeing other people smile makes me happy, especially when they laugh at my jokes.

Dark Humor Appeals to My Dry Wit
A recent article about dark humor caught my attention. The gist of the piece is that if you love dark humor, you might be a genius. I burst out laughing. No kidding? I might be a genius.

#1 Case in point: I love Halloween, skeletons, ghosts, and goblins. The spookier, the greater the effect. I bought a Día de los Muertos coffee cup, a Mr. Bones t-shirt, a few articulated skeleton tchotchkes, and outdoor decorations. Every time I look at them, I laugh. Something about it appeals to my dry wit.

#2 Case in point: One year, during a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, we extended our stay to participate in the Day of the Dead celebration.

#3 Case in point: Why don’t cannibals eat clowns? Answer: Because they taste funny. (Don’t hate me. This joke was highlighted in the article.) I love it (and the punchline is easy to remember).

Pain Doesn’t Hurt as Much
While everyone experiences pain differently, it’s comforting to know that laughter can help soften pain or make it more tolerable. Having undergone a few surgeries, long recuperations, painful illnesses, and other physical suffering, I welcome the healing laughter brings.

Suggestion: Keep a list of comedies handy to watch during recovery. If you can laugh, the pain may subside briefly while your body heals. Besides, you’re not focused on the pain when you’re laughing.

Sleep Comes Easier After Laughing
After some hearty laughs – especially if it’s been a stressful or busy day – it’s so much easier to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night. Light sleepers can appreciate this since it’s often tough to get a whole night’s sleep when you awaken at every little sound.

Laughter calms my mind so that it’s not crowded with to-do lists and rehashing what went on during the day.

Plus, my dreams are more pleasant.

Overall, it’s a terrific sleep aid and one more amazing reason that laughing makes me happy.

Sadness Goes Away Faster
Anyone who’s dealt with tragedy, death, or illness of loved ones and close friends or is working through personal issues or conditions like depression and anxiety knows that sadness is extremely difficult to overcome. I’ve experienced great sorrow but remain optimistic and cheerful and eagerly anticipate new experiences.

Laughter is an amazing way to help dispel sadness and chip away at anxiety, depressing thoughts, and the blue attitude that often is associated with a litany of problems, family stress, inability to achieve goals, and more.

When someone tells you a hilarious joke (or one that’s so bad you must laugh) when they know you’re sad, it isn’t that you burst out laughing, but that it may make you smile. And smiling helps to ease the sadness. Trust me. I’ve been there.

Long Trips Become More Enjoyable
Do you love to travel on road trips? Or do you have a long commute? Either way, the miles behind the wheel can become tedious, and fatigue can set in. That’s a dangerous situation. Besides having a travel companion or navigator, it helps when you tell jokes, listen to a comedy channel, or do tag storytelling during family travel.

If you’re traveling solo, turn on one of several comedy channels (available on satellite radio). During a rest stop or when refueling, grabbing a snack or a meal, try scrolling through a joke website or listening to something funny.

Laughing is a Quick Way to Defuse Tension
If the air is thick with tension after delicate or complex discussions, try defusing the tension by laughing. This may be challenging when emotions are high, yet it is a technique I’ve found amazingly effective.

Is there a joke you love to share repeatedly? Telling your favorite funny story has a charm all its own. It can make
the other person – and you – smile, and that helps ratchet down the tenseness and stress.

Another tip I’ve found effective in clearing the air is to turn on reruns of a favorite comedy show. We like Two and a Half Men shows, even though we’ve seen most of them several times. I tape a few weeks’ worth and always have one ready.

Put on a t-shirt with a humorous graphic or saying. We have a Mr. Bones t-shirt from Life Is Good that always makes me laugh.

Laughter is a Good Distraction from Problems
Like a melody repeating in your head, problems are a nagging nuisance that consumes valuable emotional space. Besides, running various scenarios and potential solutions for hours on end is incredibly draining. When this happens, you need a good distraction from those problems.

Laughing always helps me stop ruminating about things I haven’t figured out or tasks yet to be completed.
Another benefit of a laugh break is that the out-of-reach solution to the problem may suddenly materialize.

Once you can free up space, your mind works in the background to determine workarounds. This works wonders and always makes me happy. Even if I haven’t solved the problem, I feel much better after
laughing.

If you want to be happy today, get your laugh on. Laughing makes me happy. It can make you happy, too.