5 Reasons Why Laughter is the Best Medicine

And just what the doctor ordered.

I don’t laugh very often, but I sometimes get the giggles and can’t stop when I do. My favorite party trick is to attempt to tell a joke that I think is very funny. As soon as I begin, the punchline is already looming in the back of my mind, so I can rarely get the joke out. I start cracking up before anyone has a clue what it’s even all about.

By this time, my friends are usually laughing as well, not at the joke they haven’t even heard yet, but at my reaction. If I ever get to the punchline, there’s a definite anticlimax. The joke is never as funny as my fit of laughter made it out to be.

Here are five reasons why laughter is the best medicine:

1. It doesn’t cost anything.

You don’t have to subscribe to Netflix, buy a book, or a ticket to see a stand-up comedian. Just get together with a good friend or watch your favorite TV show. There are many ways to inspire your laughter that are free of charge.

2. It produces “feel good” hormones.

Laughter has a positive impact on your body chemistry. Researchers have shown that when you laugh, your brain releases endorphins and dopamine. These are two of the body’s “happy hormones,” which give you a natural “high.” Endorphins reduce physical pain in your body and have chemical properties like morphine. Dopamine is the hormone that makes us feel good.

3. It reduces stress and anxiety.

Laughter may not be a cure for underlying health conditions. But besides promoting happier feelings, it also reduces stress and anxiety. According to Mayo Clinic, laughter first fires up your stress response. Then it cools it down, leaving you with a nice relaxed feeling. So there’s a knock-on effect on your health. As you reduce stress hormones in your body, this improves your immune system’s response.

4. It’s contagious, so you’re able to “catch it” easily.

According to a study by neuroscientist Sophie Scott, laughter is truly contagious. Scott used an fMRI scanner to measure brain responses to the sound of laughter in her volunteers. She found that just hearing laughter stimulates the facial muscles to respond. The study showed that people usually smile when they hear laughter.

5. Results are guaranteed.

Babies as young as four months can laugh. Thus, you are born with the ability to laugh and produce this happy cocktail of hormones for your body. Studies have shown that even a “fake” laugh is enough to create a positive effect.

So how can you initiate a fit of laughter?

You’ll have your own unique sense of humor and know what you find funny. I rely on point #4 above and usually opt for contagious laughter. If you want to see people laughing uncontrollably, you can choose from many YouTube videos. I like to listen to one of these to stimulate my laughter:

Top 5 Times Holly and Phillip Got the Giggles! | This Morning

This Morning — Phil, Fern, Holly, and Gino’s Funniest Moments! | This Morning

Gino’s Most Iconic Moments Ever | This Morning

Happy Laughing!