Laughing Your Way to Good Health

“Laughter is the best medicine.” How often have you heard that phrase? Many times I imagine. Amazingly, it’s actually true! People who have a positive attitude during illness tend to recover at a faster rate. Those who routinely experience bouts of laughter tend to be more balanced individuals who are able to manage stressful situations more easily than most. That must upset your worry warts to no end! Imagine that! Here you are, spending most of your time stressing out about meeting deadlines and other daily challenges because you want to achieve and be recognized for your diligence. To top it all, now you are told that these people, who you secretly hated because they seemed to get all the promotions without really trying as hard or deserving it, were right all along.

How is this possible? How can it be that a person like you, who puts everything into your job, meeting deadlines and generally getting sick with stress, gets looked over by someone who seems not to take life very seriously? Does this happen because life is ultimately unfair, or is there something more physical that is happening that we are not aware of? Can changing our attitudes really produce better health and vitality? Many more people are asking these questions with a view to understanding the intrinsic link between laughter, happiness and health in general.

We know that happiness is important because without it, life would not be worth living. We could still live, but we would have nothing to live for, and that could be a very sad existence. Let us not kid ourselves and say there are no sad people on the planet. Believe me, there are millions of people who live in such sadness that it is quite painful to behold. Have you ever wondered why unhappy people always tend to be depressed? Have you ever wondered why so many depressed people always seem to be sick? Are these people sad and depressed because they are sick, or are they ill because they are depressed? If they are ill because they are depressed, how does depression lead to illness and chronic disease?

An increasing number of doctors have come to appreciate the value of laughter and how it assists in the healing process. Some have even started prescribing watching situation comedies or movies. They have found that patients suffering chronic disease and cancers tend to use fewer painkillers. This is because these patients are distracted from the pain and kept entertained at the same time. If the “comedy treatment” can assist these patients, then surely there must be some benefit for healthy people. We already know that healthy people who experience laughter on a regular basis tend to manage the stress more effectively, and by managing stress are less likely to develop chronic disease.

So do yourself a favor, start watching more comedies and join a comedy club, stop taking yourself so seriously and learn to appreciate humor. It will probably save your life.