Are you tired? stressed? tense? crabby? Every Boomer ought to remind themselves that laughter is the best medicine.
I read that adults laugh on average about five times every day. But kids laugh more than 300 times every day. When trying to verify this statistic I discovered the number varies considerably depending on the source. But regardless of the exact numbers, it’s true: kids laugh way more than you and I!
Some of the most popular YouTube videos show kids laughing. Do a simple search and see for yourself. There are many videos of laughing kids with millions of views. Here’s an example of a baby laughing at the sound of paper which was watched more than 85 million times:
Out of curiosity, I searched to see how many YouTube videos existed of laughing adults with over a million views. What a difference. I found only one and it is hot this week. In case you’ve been living under a rock, here’s the only video I found on YouTube of a laughing adult with more than one million views:
I’ve observed that as the years go by, adults forget how to laugh. Everything became so serious. Bills needed paid. Kids got into trouble. We had to navigate through rough waters at work. I’m wondering if adults laugh even five times a day?
But forgetting how to laugh is not a good thing. If laughter is the best medicine then we have stopped taking our medicine. It’s time to fix that.
I found this informative infographic from happify.com which summarizes almost everything which needs to be said on the subject of laughter is the best medicine. Take a look at it. Be sure to not miss my hands on “how to” take your medicine immediately following it.
Not many people will disagree that laughter is the best medicine. The problem with many articles on this subject is that they don’t give many ideas on how to take that medicine. Several “how to”examples are found above but let me give a few additional ones.
Here’s a few suggestions on how to take your medicine:
1. Make laughter the best medicine by watching a TV comedy before going to sleep.
My wife and I have a TV in the bedroom. Every night, before drifting off to sleep, we watch an episode of a 30 minute comedy. So far we have watched every episode of Everyone Loves Raymond, Seinfeld, Parks and Recreation, and now 3rd Rock from the Sun. There’s something therapuetic about going to sleep with closing the day out with laughter. Laughter is the best medicine.
2. Make laughter the best medicine by surrounding yourself with people who laugh.
Nothing can make me laugh like getting with close friends. We know each well and know what to say to make the laughter start. Take time to get together with friend. Be intentional about having funny friends in your life. Laughter is the best medicine.
3. Make laughter the best medicine by developing the habit of smiling at yourself in the mirror.
I know, this is a strange idea. But you look at yourself more than you realize every day in the mirror. One of the first things I do when I get up is to stagger into the bathroom and look in the mirror. Throughout the day I glance at myself in the mirror. Learn to use the peeking into the mirror moments as a cue to smile back at yourself. It will prepare you for laughter throughout the day. Laughter is the best medicine.
4. Make laughter the medicine by distancing yourself from watching and reading the news.
Stay informed but don’t allow the news to rob you of joy. Becoming immersed in the news can drag you right down into the sewer of despair. If you get too much bad news in your system it will be impossible to laugh. I had a friend who watched Fox News all the time and it nearly ruined them. Too much bad news isn’t good. Laughter is the best medicine.
5. Make laughter the best medicine by making a commitment to smile more.
The distance between a frown and laughter isn’t nearly as great as the distance between a smile and laughter. Practice smiling. Try to become aware of what you face is communicating throughout the day. Make yourself smile. And if you get into the habit of smiling, then laughter isn’t far away. Laughter is the best medicine.
Laughing is the best medicine. It gives you energy and makes every day better. Getting energy is part of the ReFIRE process. This chapter of life can be the very best!
I agree about the news. I don’t watch it as much. Too depressing at times
Hi Judy. Yes, too much news can be a bad thing. By the way, Judy do you see any strange Blue on my post? A couple have reported seeing it.
Hey Randy!
Fallon cracks me up and I usually drift off post monologue and games.
But one night after Jimmy gave me a lengthy tear-inducing belly laugh it made me think about how infrequently I laugh like that. I thought to myself, days, if not weeks.
That’s sad.
But thank you for the reminder. Will gravitate toward comedies!
I often forget to laugh. When I do it feels good!
A great reminder…..how sad that I have to be reminded. I need to spend more time with the grandkids…they never forget.
Yes! Grandkids laugh and make us grandparents laugh a lot! BTW, I see you have a great website where we write about similar things. My readers might enjoy checking out your site at http://www.maryellenmiller.com
Nothing NEW but Randy has written this for me as this is not only the medicine for my heart but the most expensive one. I start taking every morning but forget till noon, start taking again in evening but forget at night. The NEWS around have ruined me and now I am really trying to be aware, that’s all. Grateful to Randy for giving me another jerk.
Hello Syed. Thanks for your comment. Sometimes I think laughter is the ONLY thing that gets us through the day!
Hey, Randy, I just wanted to report (since my last one) that my little Brooklynne was with me today and we sang a song she just learned in kindergarten “You Are My Sunshine.” When she pointed to me that it was my turn to solo, I sang it in “opera.” She cracked up so bad, then we saw that the dog popped up from her nap and was looking all around, as if trying to find out what the noise was all about…we both had tears…it was so fun…mostly laughing at the dog! There ya have it. :)
Nice!
My former sister-in-law belongs to a laugh club, and I’ve always wondered what they do at their meetings. Laugh, I guess! It is true that if someone in the room is laughing, pretty soon you’ll catch it and start laughing, too. I guess that’s #2 on your list. I love people who laugh!
A laugh club!? That’s new to me but I love the idea!
She joined it after surviving a battle with cancer and I think over time it has really changed her world. For the way better. :< D
I really do love the idea!