Most people spend their youth giggling pretty much every single day. Kids are incredibly skilled at finding humor in any situation, and although their jokes might not always land with adults, they’re comedic geniuses amongst one another. Unfortunately, however, as we grow up, we tend to incorporate less laughter into our everyday lives.
You might find yourself working an office job where you have to be serious and stoic while on the clock. Or you may find that the realities of adulthood are much more challenging than you were prepared for. After all, it’s difficult to spend hours each day laughing when you’re struggling to pay rent.
No matter how hard life gets, though, we must never forget how crucial humor is. Not just to ensure that we enjoy our lives, but also to keep us healthy! According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter comes along with many social and mental health benefits. First of all, it’s a great way to alleviate stress, as it can decrease a person’s cortisol levels.
At the same time, by reducing stress, laughter can help with a person’s depression, anxiety, and insomnia. It provides us with endorphins, dopamine, and oxytocin, which can counteract the impacts that stress has on the body. Research has even found that laughter can boost self-esteem and improve a person’s social skills.
Plus, humor doesn’t only make people feel good in the moment. Dr. Edward T. Creagan says that humor can go a long way in helping people deal with the most difficult times in life. “If a patient can have a moment of levity in the face of crisis, I think it helps them better cope and better deal with the uncertainties of their problems,” he told the Mayo Clinic.
There are also physical benefits that you might experience from making sure you get your daily dose of laughter into every single day. Dr. Creagan says it can decrease blood pressure, help regulate your heart’s rhythm, and may even benefit your immune system. Meanwhile, regular laughter might help you maintain your health as you age and improve well-being in elderly individuals.
Now, it’s been established that laughter truly is the best medicine. But getting some giggles into your daily routine is easier said than done. So if you’re looking for some tips on how to make sure you don’t go a day without laughing, TIME has some advice. First, they recommend identifying at least one funny thing per day. Even if you think you had the most boring, mundane day, there must have been something silly that you spotted during your commute, that you heard your coworker say, or that you read online.
It’s also a good idea to master at least one joke if you want to incorporate more humor into your life. You’ll be able to whip it out in any situation, immediately lightening the mood. And by sharing a funny joke, you’ll encourage others to do the same. This will create a snowball effect, where the more time you spend around funny people, the better your sense of humor will become. Then, you’ll start attracting hilarious friends, and you’ll never go a day without laughter!
