How to get more of the “best medicine” in your life

On the heels of St. Patrick’s Day is the little-known but much-needed “National Let’s Laugh Day,” March 19 — a day to celebrate the health benefits of laughter.

We should look for ways to bring humor into our lives as often as we can.

And not just because it makes us feel better at the moment. Although, that it does. In the short term, laughter can:

• Increase the endorphins released by your brain (chemicals produced by your body to relieve stress and pain), while also reducing stress-related hormones like cortisol, which interferes with the body’s immune system.
• Help you relax by increasing, then decreasing, your heart rate and blood pressure.
• Soothe tension by stimulating circulation and aiding muscle relaxation.

But laughter’s long-term effects are a lot to smile about, too, as it may:

• Improve your immune system — Positive thoughts can release neuropeptides (chemical signals in the brain) that help fight stress and potentially more serious illnesses.
• Relieve pain — Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers.
• Improve your mood and outlook — Laughter can also make it easier to cope with difficult situations, and can lessen depression and anxiety. It can also help you connect with other people.

How to find the funny

Even during times when life doesn’t feel funny, laughter can provide a healing escape from the stress of everyday life. If you’re going through a tough time now, and something surprisingly strikes you funny, embrace the chance to laugh or at least smile about it. It’ll help.

Here are some ideas for how to bring laughter and humor into your day:

• Start by smiling. Smiling is the beginning of laughter. Babies begin smiling during the first weeks of life and laugh out loud within a few months of being born. The next time you see or think of something even mildly pleasing, smile.
• Watch a movie or favorite old sitcoms that always make you laugh.
• Google “babies laughing,” “funny cat videos,” or “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” Some of those types of clips might seem contrived, but that’s OK. You might find yourself laughing anyway.
• Call a friend who’s always got a funny take on life. Even better if you two go way back and can laugh over funny times together.
• Reminisce about a time you couldn’t stop laughing about something. What happened? Who were you with?
• Think back to funny things that happened with your family or friends that have become folklore over time. We all have those funny family stories. Incidents that were hilarious then — and still make you laugh today.
• Consider laughter yoga. People practice laughter as a group. The laughter is forced at first, but usually turns into spontaneous laughter.

“Laughter is the best medicine” may sound like an old cliché, but like so many old sayings, is based on some truth. Laughter gives you psychological benefits and may bring physiological ones as well. And there’s no downside to this medicine — it’s free, with no bad side effects!