“Make ’em laugh, make ’em laugh, don’t you know everyone wants to laugh.” Donald O’Connor danced across the set singing this popular tune from “Singing in the Rain.”
Laughter is good medicine and therapeutic in many ways. The problem is we don’t do enough of it. Small children laugh over 300 times a day about nothing. How many times do you laugh a day? Laughing is a stress reliever, and some professionals believe it temporarily relieves pain. I think I’ll try this at the dentist’s office next visit. It makes us feel good.
You are actually taking in more oxygen, and this increase stimulates your body. It’s a form of exercise. When you share laughs with friends, you tend to feel more relaxed. It sure is a depression fighter. How can you be depressed when you are having a good belly laugh?
Make an effort to put more chuckles in your life. Keep a funny movie or television show nearby, and when you need the stimulation, experience it again. Being around funny folks should be a goal. Have you ever been around people who complain all the time? It is a real downer.
You should also try to make others laugh as well. Return the favor. Researchers Dr. Lee Berk and Dr. Stanley Tan at the Loma Linda University of California have done research on the subject. Here are some of their results: 1. Lowers blood pressure. 2. Reduces stress hormones. 3. Works out your stomach muscles. 4. Improves cardiac health. 5. Strengthens the immune system. 6. Releases actual pain killers called endorphins. 7. Gives you a more positive outlook. These are all excellent reasons for laughing throughout the day.
There are ways to make others laugh as well. You can always tell a joke or share a cartoon from the comics. The Bible states that a merry heat does like :good medicine (Proverbs 17:22). Therapists are beginning to use humor as a method of treating the daily stresses of our hectic life styles. The evidence is overwhelming. We all need to make laughter a part of our day. Let’s start now. Make someone laugh today. Make a funny face for no reason. Laugh for no reason.
Make ’em laugh, make ’em laugh. Don’t you know everyone wants to laugh?
My dad said, “Be an actor, my son, but be a comical one.”
