Have You Had 15 Laughs Today?

By Nina Chen, Ph.D.
Human Development Specialist

How many laughs have you had today?  Researchers suggest that the average American laugh 15 times or more a day for health maintenance.  If you are a serious person, don’t take time out for pleasure, and always look at things in a negative way, you are likely to have health problems in the future.  If you are a serious workaholic, and you don’t take time for humor or laughing, you may find yourself less productive and effective than if you take time out for a little humor.  The following are some benefits of having laughter in your everyday life:

Laughter can make you feel better.  Laughter is a tool to lighten up your mood.  Laughter helps you laugh at yourself and not take things too seriously.  Laughter gives you opportunities to reduce conflicts and increase social interaction.  Good laughter is like a “social lubricant” to help break the ice and ease social tension which makes you feel better and confident in communicating sensitive information.

Laughter is good for reducing stress.  Some physicians report that laughter can produce muscle relaxation which make an important contribution to stress reduction and the improvement of headaches.  Laughter also is a powerful tool to release pent-up feelings of ear, anger, and anxiety.  Obviously, laughter is an “emotional weight-loss” technique to help you feel lighter and healthier.

Laughter is good exercise.  Laughter is just like “internal jogging.”  When you laugh, your muscles are activated, oxygen floods the blood, and the cardiovascular system dilates.  Laughter can stimulate the production of endorphin in the brain, the body’s natural pain-reducing enzymes.  When the endorphin increases, the feeling of pain decreases.  Laughter can extend to every internal organ and give a healthy massage.  For instance, the muscles in your face, arms, legs, stomach, diaphragm, thorax and the  circulatory and endocrine systems have a mini-workout.

Laughter is free.  Laughter is non-fattening, non-salting, non-polluting, non-taxable, no cost, constantly renewable, and does not require batteries and special assembly.  In addition, laughter is a free tool for team-building.  Good laughter can help pull the group together and build a bond among group members.  Laughter and humor can increase group cohesion which also can enhance group problem solving skills.

            So where do you get a steady supply of laughter?  Be positive to begin with.  Practice seeing the glass “half-full,” instead of “half-empty.”  Give yourself some rewards and time out for joy.  Begin to look for humor and laughter in everyday situations.  If you are a serious person and seldom laugh, try giving away 15 hugs today.  You will find yourself laughing more and hugging others.  Laugh and hug your way to good health-wellness.