Laughter is the Best Medicine

Laughter is the best medicine.  There is truth in this saying.  Laughter is an amazing miracle healer.  I have heard people testify that laughter has healed them.  A lot of books have been written on this subject like Dr. Bernie Siegel’s Humor and Healing and a best-selling book Anatomy of an Illness.  

 

Anatomy of an Illness was based on the story of Norman Cousins.  Cousins is a renowned journalist and editor of the Saturday Review.  In the 1960s, he was diagnosed with a debilitating spinal disease and was given a 1/500 chance of survival. Instead of confining himself in the hospital, he checked-out and moved to a hotel spending his time just watching episodes of Candid Camera and the Marx Brothers. Apparently, laughter stimulated chemicals in his body giving him several hours of pain-free sleep.  He continued the practice.  Eventually, his illness went into remission and he was able to get back to work.  

Other studies concluded the same results.  The University of Maryland studied the effect of laughter on cardiac health.  In their study, their subjects were shown laughter-provoking movies. Laughter appeared to cause the inner lining of blood vessels to dilate, thus increasing blood flow and avoiding dangerous vessel constriction. Other studies conclude that laughter, over time, offers significant medical benefits, including boosting the immune system, lowering blood pressure, improving heart and respiratory functions and even regulating blood sugar.

 

Getting medication is very expensive; so, why not utilize this free and always available medication?  Laughter has the power to heal physically, mentally and emotionally. Laugh your blues away and restore your health; be in the pink of health.   

Teach yourself to always see the funny side of things.  See the comedy in bad brain chemistry, the humor in mood disorders, and the satire in dysfunctional situations.  Maybe you got a terrible beating from your boss.  Laugh about it; look it the mirror and mimic how outrageous your boss looked when he was scolding you!  You can’t change what happened and you can’t just quit your job so change your perspective. 

 

When something disastrous happens, look for the positive and funny side of it.  It is raining, you forgot to bring your umbrella and you need arrive at the day care center before it closes to pick-up your kid.  Don’t fret, run into the rain and enjoy getting wet! Have fun and tell your kid how awesome it is to bathe in the rain.   

Always find something to laugh about everyday.  Watch a comedy show, drop by your Facebook.  My friend posted this on Facebook and it just made me laugh so hard my son asked why I was laughing by myself.  I did not share it with him because the language is not so good but I will share it with you just for laughs.  It’s called Creating a Password

 

Cabbage

Sorry, the password must be more than 8 characters
Boiled cabbage
Sorry, the password must contain 1 numerical character
1 boiled cabbage
Sorry, the password cannot have blank spaces
50fuckingboiledcabbages
Sorry, the password must contain at least one upper case character
50FUCKINGboiledcabbages
Sorry, the password cannot use more than one upper case character consecutively.
50FuckingBoiledCabbagesShovedUpYourAss,IfYouDon’tGiveMeAccessImmediately
Sorry, the password cannot contain punctuation
NowIAmGettingReallyPissedOff50FuckingBoiledCabbagesShovedUpYourAssIfYouDontGiveMeAccessImmediately
Sorry, that password is already in use!

 

You don’t have to laugh alone always J.  You may have a co-worker or a friend whose jokes make you laugh till you cry.  Or you can laugh at your friends and family (they’ll understand) but make sure you know when to stop as your laughter might sometimes cause a squabble if it becomes too personal or hurting.  

And when you do start laughing, go all the way.  Laugh till you cry, laugh till your stomach hurts, laugh till you are sprawled out on the floor, laugh till you try catching your breath and laugh till you are exhausted.

Laugh and enjoy the laughter.  Think of a time when you laughed the hardest; meditate on that moment and it will surely bring you joy and peace.

 

Bring laughter with you, everywhere and anywhere you go.  Laughter is your handy medicine to any possible illness.  Laughter will come in handy when life throws things at you, when life strikes you down. Laughter is your best medicine.