Using Humor for Well-Being - Karyn Buxman
My friend and fellow medical professional, Dr. Lee Berk said it best when he said: “If we took what we now know about laughter and bottled it up it would require FDA approval.” It’s true that when we laugh, we feel better. There’s a reason why Facebook is clogged with funny cat videos and those “fail” videos that always seem to hurt a little but ultimately are just there to make us laugh.
So, my question to you is, would you rather go to the gym and sit on the rowing machine for 30 minutes, or would you rather sit down on your couch and put on a really funny movie? Now, I’m not judging if you chose to go to the gym, but I feel like most people out there (including myself) would decide to put on their favorite, belly-ache-inducing, movie and call it a day.
The effects of a good bellyache, top-of-your-lungs, barely-getting-any-air-into-your-lungs laughter can be seen in the immune system and even the cardiovascular system. It’s been proven that laughter decreases pain, inflammation, and can even affect epigenetics (which is something I cover in one of my Ted Talks which you can watch on my YouTube Channel).
