I THOUGHT I KNEW YOU
With most people not what you think they are, so you may as well have a good laugh!
Years ago, while at a convention, I passed a room where people stood on chairs laughing. It seemed bizarre, but I later learned they were taking a laughter workshop. At the time, my own life was full of adventure and novelty, and I couldn’t imagine paying money to laugh. Watching my children grow up gave me plenty of opportunity to do so.
But this week, sitting in a circle of well-off friends sharing their emotional states, I realized how the ugly political climate has taken a toll. People who once described themselves as content now admitted to feeling anxious, angry, fearful, stressed, depressed, and sad. Out of nineteen of us, only two said they felt hopeful. Though these were active, healthy people—science-believers, vaccine-takers, and vitamin enthusiasts—many confessed they often cried after reading the news.
Remaining in a politically or socially induced depression isn’t healthy, so I began to think of remedies outside of counseling. The first thing that came to mind was laughter, nature’s antidote to sadness.
“Laughter is the best medicine” is more than a cliché. When you laugh, you breathe in more oxygen, which stimulates the lungs, heart, and muscles. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins. the brain’s feel-good chemicals. It’s similar to what athletes call the “runner’s high.” The physical boost to circulation may be short-lived, but it’s enough to remind us how good it feels to smile.
You might be surprised to learn that laughter can also provide temporary relief from pain. It produces small amounts of natural morphine, which dulls pain receptors in the brain. Don’t worry, becoming a laughter addict won’t get the narcs at your door, yet it might make you a happier person.
Stress, by contrast, is often deadly. I’ve heard of people experiencing a heart attack after a natural disaster or bad news, but never from receiving good news. Studies suggest laughter can actually improve cardiovascular function. It triggers beta-endorphins that make the lining of the heart more reactive, and it produces a muscle-relaxing effect that can last up to 45 minutes.
Though it won’t replace the gym, ten minutes of hearty laughing burns up to 40 calories, which adds up to about four pounds in a year. That’s funny enough to laugh about. Even more profoundly, laughter boosts immunity by reducing stress that has a negative effect on the systems governing health, including the immune system, and can decrease heart rate and blood pressure.. It also lowers blood pressure and heart rate.
Another gift of laughter is its ability to shift perspective. Kings of old kept jesters in their courts for this very reason. Like today’s stand-up comics, jesters could cut through tension and reveal truth, often helping people see problems as less threatening and easier to bear.
And perhaps most importantly, laughter draws people closer. It’s social glue, increasing connection and strengthening relationships. By lowering stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and dopamine, it lifts mood and makes us easier to be around.
So, the next time the news cycle drags you down, remember that seven days without laughter makes one weak. And if that’s not enough, recall that ants who fight crime are called vigilantes, oceans say hi by making waves, and for this Halloween, there is still time to find a bird that gives out tweets.
Because sometimes the best prescription really is just a good laugh.
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Share a joke, tell a tale for your life. What makes you happy? What keeps you laughing? Respond on my blog site.
Art is always for sale. I thought I Knew You is a 36” by 18” framed, Mixed Media painting on Canvas. It will keep you laughing. Available for purchase on my website at https://www.eichingerfineart.com/workszoom/1353668/i-thought-i-knew-you#/
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References:
Mayo Clinic Staff (2025) Stress relief from laughter? It’s no joke. Mayo Clinic Healthy Lifestyle. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456
Yoshikawa, Y. & Ohmake, E. and others. (2018) Beneficial effect of laughter therapy on physiological and psychological function in elders. NIH National Library of Medicine. retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6279721/
Staff writer. (2025) The Truth About Laughter as Medicine. Facty Health. Retrieved from https://facty.com/lifestyle/wellness/the-truth-about-laughter-as-medicine/?
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When I interviewed Streetwise for the book OVER THE PEANUT FENCE, about homeless and runaway kids, he shared a story I will always remember. Rather than holding up a sign, saying he was hungry and needed a handout, he made a sign that said, ” I bet you can’t hit me with your quarter.” When people saw it, they laughed, and though no one ever threw a quarter at him, they often gave him a dollar or two. It wasn’t long before he had enough to buy lunch or dinner.
Over the Peanut Fence is available in paperback and ebook formats in bookstores and online. To purchase on Amazon go to https://www.amazon.com/Over-Peanut-Fence-Barriers-Homeless-ebook/dp/B07Q7SLRM3
