The Healing Power of Humor and 25 Things to Make You Laugh

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Boy laughing with eyes closed

“Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.”
~ Mark Twain


The Healing Power of Humor

If you subscribe to my newsletter, you know that I often include a “Belly Laugh of the Week” – for good reason! Humor is healing. We know this intuitively, because when we laugh, we simply feel better. Do you remember late-night sleepovers with friends, where one of you would giggle, then another, and soon you were all laughing so hard, you were gasping for air with tears rolling down your faces? Laughter is contagious, and it feels soooooo good. There’s even something called Laughter Yoga, to help adults relive this childhood experience.

We are born to laugh. Even in our darkest moments, laughter can take us by surprise and soothe not only our soul but also our body. How does this work? The physical act of laughing releases endorphins, chemicals in our bodies that are called “nature’s narcotics.” They can give us a feeling of euphoria and even relieve pain. In fact, famed author, Norman Cousins, treated his autoimmune disease (ankylosing spondylitis) through laughter therapy, saying it was the best pain relief he could find. Laughter also reduces cortisol (the stress hormone), and even makes our memory sharper. Goodbye brain fog.

Living with autoimmunity is hard, and sometimes laughter feels out of our reach. Yet, those are the moments when we need laughter the most. So, instead of a recipe roundup, today I offer you a laughter roundup.

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25 Reasons To Laugh

  1. Life on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol: A Story in Memes
  2. The Hazards of Backyard Hens
  3. Coconut Oil – The Magic Elixir
  4. Cat Friend vs. Dog Friend
  5. Cholos try Kale Chips and Kombucha
  6. Real Food Ryan Gosling
  7. Comedy Wildlife Awards
  8. Angry Yoga
  9. If Juliet Had a Sassy Gay Friend
  10. Portlandia: How to Order in a Restaurant
  11. Bacon Slam Poem by Nick Offerman
  12. Sarah Jones: One Woman, Eight Hilarious Characters
  13. Improv Everywhere: Stand Here for Dance Party
  14. Cats vs. the Invisible Wall
  15. Goat Crossfit
  16. When Your Friends Try to Cheer You Up and You’re Not Having It
  17. Living La Vida AIP
  18. Kalen Allen – Food Critic
  19. Big Bang Theory – Howard Wolowitz Impressions
  20. FDA Approves Depressant Drug For The Annoyingly Cheerful
  21. Alanis Morissette Updates ‘Ironic’ Lyrics
  22. Best Cameo Appearance on a Sitcom Ever
  23. Stupid Things People Say to Someone with Autoimmune Disease
  24. Despair.com
  25. The Katering Show – We Quit Sugar *Warning: this one contains a lot of profanity, but it’s very funny.

author and her husband, looking at each other and laughing

Shoutout to my husband, who considers himself the funniest man alive and routinely makes me laugh.


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A version of this post originally appeared as a guest post for Autoimmune Wellness.

Credit: image at top of page from cheriejoyful.

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2 comments on “The Healing Power of Humor and 25 Things to Make You Laugh”

  1. Love this! I laugh so much more than I did when I was younger, it’s important to find something to make you laugh every day. It releases stress and it’s just great for your health. Great post, Eileen!

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