One of the most underrated health remedies is laughter.  Laughter has a variety of health benefits and it can get you through tough times.  In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives or when our health is not good, we often forget to laugh.  Laughter, however, is a perfect prescription for both physical and mental health.   There are some scientific reasons that laughter is the best medicine.

Physical Benefits

  • Increases the immune cells to help fight off infections and diseases
  • Decreases stress hormones
  • Gives a sense of well being by releasing endorphins (this also helps with pain)
  • Relaxes the body
  • Increases oxygen in the body
  • Increases blood flow to the heart (good for heart health)

Emotional

  • Improves mood
  • Acts as a stress reliever
  • Eases anxiety
  • Makes life easier to deal with

Socially

  • Helps bond groups
  • Strengthens relationships
  • Makes us more resilient

Now that you know how good it is for you to laugh, how can you start laughing more?  There are lots of things you can do to add more laughter to your life no matter how old you are.

Watch a Funny Movie

Watching a funny movie can serve two purposes.  It can make you laugh when you are by yourself or it can be a social activity that you do with friends or family.  Here is a list of movies that should get you chuckling.

  • It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)
  • The Russians are Coming (1966)
  • Elf or anything with Will Ferrell in it (2003)
  • Sideways (2004)
  • Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
  • Best in Show (2000)
  • Meet the Parents (2000)
  • Three Fugitives (1989)

Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu make it easy to find movies by genre, so go ahead, make your day!

Use an App

If you like using your phone for more than just phone calls, try downloading an app to make you laugh.

  • Laugh My App Off (iOS and Android)
  • Gag (iOS and Android)
  • Dad jokes (Android)
  • Buzzfeed (iOS and Android)

When you need an extra pick me up, these Apps should get you smiling (if not laughing).

Play a Game

You might not have played any games since you were a kid, but games not only make you laugh, they are a great social activity.  In some cases, you may need only one other person.  These games should bring some of the silliness out in you.

Who am I?

Grab a partner and two sticky papers.  Each person writes a person, animal or thing on the piece of paper without showing each other what they wrote.  You put your sticky on the forehead of your partner and he or she puts their sticky on your forehead.  The object of the game is to guess who or what you are by asking the other person questions back and forth.

Sticker Stalker

Everyone gets 10 stickers.  The trick is to stick them on people without them knowing it.  This activity could last for hours and you can chuckle when you see someone walk by with a sticker on their back that says “kiss me”! The first person to get rid of all their stickers wins.  The stickers can be anything, including holiday-themed.

Laughing Game

Players take turns saying Haaa, Hooo, Heee over and over.  Whoever laughs is out of the game.  The winner is the last person to keep a straight face.

Laughing is an important part of staying healthy.  No matter what your age, find ways to get a good laugh in.  Pretty soon you may find yourself smiling for no reason at all!