There’s something to be said for a healthy sense of humor. Having a humorous outlook on life can increase longevity through laughter. Just look at all the funny people who lived beyond the average life span:
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Bob Hope (100)
George Burns (100)
Phyllis Diller (95)
Milton Berle (93)
Sid Caesar (91)
Dick Gregory (84)
Joan Rivers (81)
Jack Benny (80)
Danny Thomas (79)
Johnny Carson (79)
Lucille Ball (77)
Mel Brooks (95 and still laughing)
Betty White (99 and still laughing)
David Letterman (74 and still laughing)
Jay Leno (71 and still laughing)
George Wallace (69 and still laughing)
This is by no means a complete list, but there are enough listed here that it begs us to give consideration to the health benefits of a well-developed sense of humor.
A healthy sense of humor brings more friends into your life. Most people love to laugh, so they naturally congregate around funny people. Think about it—who would you rather sit next to at a boring seminar—the office clown or the bookkeeper? They say misery likes company. But are you ever really attracted to miserable people? Of course not. We usually steer clear of them.
In this time of uncertainty and high stress, we could all use more laughter in our lives. (Even the miserable ones. They just don’t know it yet.) If you’d like fun friends in your life, start laughing more and see the positive side of things. Then, watch your friend base grow.
Even medical science gives a nod to adding more humor into our lives. Laughter increases the endorphins in our body, making it easier to handle stress, lower blood pressure, and improve immunity.
There’s a reason we’re drawn to comedy movies, late-night comedy shows, and sitcoms. We enjoy being amused. It feels good, and statistically, it really seems to add a few years to our lives.
The Bible even says that laughter is good for us. Proverbs 17:22 tells us that a cheerful heart is good medicine. Proverbs 15:15 says a happy heart has a continual feast. And Ecclesiastes 3:4 reminds us that there is a time to cry and a time to laugh. What time is it in your life?
Don’t get me wrong. A cheerful outlook doesn’t mean you won’t have problems. Life is full of stressors—daily traffic jams, depressing news stories, chronic illnesses, and sudden emergencies. Laughter is just another layer of protection that we can add to our health regime, like vitamins, a balanced diet, and exercise.
And speaking of exercise, do you know that laughter even burns calories? The American Council on Exercise determined that a 170-pound person would need to spend ten minutes doing jumping jacks to burn 44 calories. (Personally, I do ten minutes of jumping jacks every morning. Well, half of that. I just clap.) But laughing for only fifteen minutes per day can burn nearly the same number of calories. So, which would you rather do? Watch a comedy film or join an aerobics class? LOL!
Okay, you might say, I understand that laughter is good for us, but these days, what’s there to laugh about? Plenty. It’s all in how you look at each situation. You need to figure out how to turn life’s lemons into lemonade and chuckle about it.
Politics and negative daily news items won’t affect your attitude and health nearly as much when you hear them through the filter of comedy. So watch the news if you must, but follow it with an adequate dose of good comedic commentary.
Throughout history, the hardest times seemed to birth the best comedy. It’s called “comic relief,” and novelists, screenwriters, and playwrights have understood its power. Just when things look their bleakest, their most depressing, when all hope seems lost, the writer will add a bit of comic relief to the text to allow the reader or theater audience to take a break from the heaviness of the moment and giggle. The chuckle gets them breathing again and reminds them that the story isn’t over yet. In the darkest moments of life, there is usually someplace where we can find joy. Look for those moments of joy.
Cartoonists also benefit from their comedic take on life. Political cartoonists have the gift of taking a frustrating news item and giving it an absurd slant, making us all snicker, instead of curling up in the corner and crying. Some, like “The Lockhorns,” allow readers to howl over Loretta and Leroy’s bickering while putting their own on hold.
To be clear, though, there are plenty of life situations that we must take seriously. Real tragedies happen. Illness, death, loss—they’re all a part of life. It’s all those other areas, though, the ones we can, and need to, laugh about, that serve as a reminder that we’d all be better off if we could lighten up a bit.
So, while you’re planning your weekly exercise routine, charting your daily diet of nourishing foods, and following your doctor’s instructions for your own personal health needs, don’t forget to add plenty of laughter to your daily regimen, too. Whether it comes from the funny papers, comedy movies, your favorite sitcoms, or late-night talk shows, find the style of humor you like best and feel free to overdose on it. It can’t hurt, and it just might give you a whole new perspective on life. And if a happier outlook helps us live to our 80s, 90s, and even 100, it’ll make the journey that much more fun, too.
About the Author
Martha Bolton is a professional comedy writer and the author of 88 books of humor and inspiration, including her latest award-winning book, Dear Bob… Bob Hope’s Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of WW2. Martha was Bob Hope’s first female staff writer and is a prolific playwright with family-friendly shows running in five states. You can find Martha at https://www.marthabolton.com
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