Laughter is the Best Medicine, so Hand Me Some Medicine

“Laughter is the best medicine.”

If there is one lesson I have learned during this strangest of times in which we have been living for the past couple of months, it is that I do not laugh often enough. I have no idea why this lesson has been so strongly impressed upon me, but it has, and I trust that God has a reason and a cure for it.

I have never been a sanguine, life-of-the-party type. Instead, I have always been pretty serious, but that seriousness has taken hold more deeply in the past few years. This tendency toward a lack of laughter leaves me feeling dry and parched. Is that TMI? If you feel uncomfortable with my admission, please feel free to hit delete. We will still be friends. I promise. However, my guess is that there must be others who can identify with my plight.

On those days when I have a good ol’ belly laugh, the change in how I feel and think is remarkable. I feel lighter, happier, and less anxious. And for good reason. There is science behind it, but before there was science, there was Solomon.

Scripture says in Proverbs 17:22 (NKJV) that “A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.” See, I told you!

Consider this from the Mayo Clinic website:

Short-term benefits

A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body. Laughter can:

Stimulate many organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.

Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, and it can increase and then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.

Soothe tension. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.

Long-term effects

Laughter isn’t just a quick pick-me-up, though. It’s also good for you over the long term. Laughter may:

Improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts can actually release neuropeptides 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.

Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can also make it easier to cope with difficult situations. It also helps you connect with other people.

Improve your mood. Many people experience depression, sometimes due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen your depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier.

I want to laugh more often, yet how to do I get there? I believe there are some questions I must ask myself.

What holds me back from laughter, and maybe even being silly sometimes? Anxiety? Fear?
What kind of humor is funny to me?
How often do I intentionally go searching for funny things?
How much time would I be willing to devote to seeking out funny jokes, videos, stories, etc each day?
Who could I engage to hold me accountable for finding laughter every day?
Have I asked the Lord to bring funny things into my path each day? If not, why not?

Okay, now it is your turn to help me find laughter more often. Hit me up with your suggestions for clean and funny: