I love to laugh. I love to laugh so much that my neighbor filed a complaint with the leasing office. Apparently, she cannot sleep because of my laughing. Of all the things for a neighbor to complain about, I get a notice about laughing too much. Actually, I think it was that I laugh too loudly. Kind of funny, now that I think about it. So now when we are watching a funny show, I make sure to cover my mouth as I laugh so I am not too loud.
Anyway, studies show that laughing is good for you. When you laugh, your neurons release endorphins. For those who are curious as to how your brain responds to laughter, here is how it was described in the December 7, 1984 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association:
“Although there is no known ‘laugh center’ in the brain, its neural mechanism has been the subject of much, albeit inconclusive, speculation. It is evident that its expression depends on neural paths arising in close association with the telencephalic and diencephalic centers concerned with respiration. Wilson considered the mechanism to be in the region of the mesial thalamus, hypothalamus, and sub-thalamus. Kelly and co-workers, in turn, postulated that the tegmentum near the periaqueductal grey contains the integrating mechanism for emotional expression. Thus, supra-nuclear pathways, including those from the limbic system that Papez hypothesised to mediate emotional expressions such as laughter, probably come into synaptic relation in the reticular core of the brain stem. So while purely emotional responses such as laughter are mediated by sub-cortical structures, especially the hypothalamus, and are stereotyped, the cerebral cortex can modulate or suppress them.”
Bottom line is that laughing makes you feel good. The release of endorphins enters your blood supply, your brain and makes its way to your spine so your whole body feels good. The same release occurs, for example, when you exercise, eat sugar, have a massage, and when you meditate.
So the next time you feel down, watch something funny or eat some chocolate (preferably dark since that is healthier) or go for a walk. Your body will thank you!
{ 24 comments }
I don’t know nuthin’ ’bout no P-sychology, but I do know laughin be doing a body good!
On a (slightly) more serious note, I laughed out loud for the first time in a LONG time just the other day…and it completely overhauled my perspective. I had been so upset about so many things in my life for so long, and that one laugh released it all in an instant. It was definitely the most emotionally “healing” experience I’ve had in a long, long time.
Nadia,
The fact that you got in trouble for laughing to loudly made me laugh.
My favorite kind of movies are really low-class comedies like Airplane or American Pie. They make me laugh each time I see them.
Hi Nadia,
Okay, that first paragraph about the neighbors was soo funny – I laughed out loud. So, pretty soon I’ll be getting in trouble with the neighbors!! This is spreading!!!
I’m all for laughing – it does just feel great! There’s this one baby video on youtube, where the baby laughs at weird sounds – and it’s the funniest thing to watch. If I need a good laugh, I’m off to check that one out. Oh, and I’m with you on the dark chocolate too!
Hi Nadia,
me too! I love, love, love laughing out loud and do it all the time. And watching reruns of Friends plays no small role in that. I never saw any Friends out-takes before and it was very funny. Thanks for the pointer – will be scouring Utube for more : -)
Wow … your neighbor complained about your laughter??? Nuts.
Laughing is the best! Some movies that crack me up: Elf, Wedding Crashers, Zoolander, and any completely mindless romantic comedy.
i loved Friends. i hadn’t seen a gag-reel from that show, either. that was great!
anybody watch Family Guy? that one often gets me to laughing out loud.
@ Jay – Yay for the emotional release you experienced!!!! Pretty amazing at what laughter can do.
@ Roger – Your comment made me laugh!
I like comedy movies too. The best ones are the kind that make you laugh so much that your stomach aches.
@ Lance – It is funny to have your neighbor complain about laughing. When I heard about the complaint, I did not know whether to laugh or to be amazed. I went with laughing! Let the laughter spread!
I agree that there are so many great videos on YouTube and the baby ones are so cute and funny!
@ Hilda – I am so happy that you liked the post. That Friends clip I enclosed makes me laugh so much that my stomach aches. I am glad that you liked it and YouTube has the out-takes from all the seasons of Friends. So you will have a lot of material that can make you laugh. Yay for laughing!
@ Regina – I know, it is weird but it did happen. We are so cautious now when we watch funny shows because we just don’t want another complaint for laughing too much. What has the world come to????
@ P.P. – Romantic comedies are so awesome. I love them but they have to be logical. Some of them can be so far-fetched that it is too much.
@ Adam – I am so happy that you loved the gag-reel. As for Family Guy, I have never seen that show but I have heard great things about it. Thanks for the suggestion!
So true. Very few things that a goof laugh can’t overcome. There’s a reason that comedies do so well at the box office and on television. I can still remember the biggest laughs I had as a kid.
Your neighbor filed an anti-laughter complaint against you?! What a grinch!
I laughed so much last night when Jeff was trying to wrestle a fallen pine tree (that was squishing his favorite crab-apple tree) my sides were hurting. I had my own little episode of Man vs. Wild in my back yard… btw, the tree won the match.
Nadia,
This video on YouTube gets me crying with laughter, I wonder if it’s the same one Lance is talking about?? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifoygTs0cL4
That’s hilarious! You made me laugh
Great feel good post Nadia thanks!
@ Gennaro – I liked how you said that laughter can overcome many things. That is so true as is being able to recall the biggest laughs from childhood. The interesting thing is that when I remember those moments from when I was a kid, I end up laughing as much as I did then!
@ Lisis – So the tree won! Wow! Mother Nature is truly more powerful that man, huh? How is Jeff taking it?
@ Sherri – Glad you liked the post!
Thanks for the You Tube link too. I will have to take a look at it because who can resist a video that makes you laugh so much?
Change neighbours! Either that, or persuade her to become vegetarian and she’ll need less sleep and your laughing won’t be a problem for her any more.
Hi Ian,
You are too funny! Thank you for making me laugh…as always!
And don’t forget laughing is good for the stomach muscles too.
Hi Michael,
Definitely…much better than doing crunches or sit-ups!
Hi Nadia,
( but I never irritate lectures)
May be your neighbor has born without “laugh nerve” . So she/he is jealous towards you.( hehee…) I too love to laugh.Sometimes when some boring lectures going on people have used to come and sit beside me
Thanks for make me lol with your neighbor’s complaint
May your neighbors laugh so loud that you have to file a report against them.
Hi Nadia
That is very funny, I have heard of all kinds of things that people could complaint about…this is the first time I heard of laughter being one of them.
I am so with you on the laughter is good for us, it is good for our brain, it is good for our soul…it is good for us all the way around.
Thank you,
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
@ Vikum – You are welcome and I am glad that you liked the post. Lectures can be tough at times but you seem to have found a way to cope!
@ Sunny – Your comment made me laugh! I am happy to say I would not file a complaint if such a thing happened!
@ Giovanna – Laughing is a funny thing to complain about but it goes to show you how unhappy many people are in this world. And I agree with you that laughing is good for the soul!
I love watching our old Friends videos with my husband and kids – we’re creating family memories based around laughing together and my kids are learning about people loving each other despite their weird little ways and differences. Downside is, the kids now tell me whenever I’m doing a ‘Monica’, usually when I’m being weirdly obsessive about arranging the stuff in the house!
Hi Janice,
We just started watching Friends again too. Last night we watched the first episode so I can relate to how you make memories by watching it. So you have Monica moments, huh? I have Rachel ones…so no wonder you and I are friends!
I think I mentioned it in my About page, but laughing is my favorite thing to do. I laughed a lot yesterday. Had dinner with friends. I think, wherever you are in life, if you’re laughing a lot, everything is just fine.
Hi David,
Laughter is truly one of the best cures for whatever ails a person.