Find the Funny

by: Lindner Center of HOPE’s Spiritual Care Team

Research has shown that laughter has tremendous benefit to your emotional and physical health. One study in Norway even concluded that people who laugh a lot live longer! It is good medicine for the soul and the mind. Consider:

• Laughter stops distressing emotions. You can’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing.
• Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more.
• Laughter shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and diffuse conflict.
• Laughter draws you closer to others, and we all need people we can count on.[1]

Having a sense of humor is not necessarily natural to everyone. But finding the funny can be developed.

• Smile, it is the start of laughter
• Consider your blessings, it will make you more open to humor.
• Pull it into your life. Ask others for their funniest stories.
• Schedule time to look for the funny. Today’s tech makes this so very easy!

All of us could use more laughter. Find people who are playful and play. Listen for laughter and go find out what is so funny. Watching a baby laugh seems to work magic on our own funny bone. And laughing at ourselves is always a good practice.