SHARES
Here’s a snippet of a conversation that I had with a friend recently;
Me: Hey man, how are you doing? What’s up?
Friend: Nothing much, same old, same old.
Me: Want to hear a joke?
Friend: *reluctantly* Sure.
Me: My wife’s cooking is so bad we usually pray AFTER our food *laughs hysterically*. Get it, get, it?
Friend: *stares at me*I get it. It’s just not funny.
Me: Oh, Ok. I’m sorry. I have class now. Bye.
So as I was walking to class all embarrassed at the whole scenario that just took place, it lead me to think about why my friend didn’t find the joke funny. Well. Atleast I thought it was! Or I am just easily amused. So I finally concluded that it’s not my joke that was not funny, it’s just that people are less likely to laugh or smile nowadays. Personally, I’ve noticed that I myself don’t laugh as much as I used to. What ever happened to the saying that goes “laughter is the best medicine”? Is it true though? Is laughter really the best medicine?
Why you should ha, ha and ha more
Apparently, some scientist believes that laughter is indeed the best medicine. For one, laughter is a great stress reliever. I’m sure many of us would have faced a situation where we are so caught up with work or assignments and this one quirky friends comes over and does something or says something witty and everyone just burst out laughing till their stomachs hurt and they can’t breathe. What happens after is that we usually feel a lot better and relieved and we go back to our task with a sense of relieve. Why this happens is because laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
Moreover, laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after. Laughter is also known to boost the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. That’s not all, laughter also protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
Based on all these points, doesn’t it make sense for us to LOL (laugh out loud) every now and then? So the next time you are feeling stressed or down, search the internet for funny cat videos or visit a funny friend who you only became friends with because he makes you laugh. Admit it we all have that friend. Try to let go a little and guffaw every now and then. Squeeze in a little time for your favorite sitcom or go to watch a stand-up comedy show to laugh the stress away. If you are concerned about people thinking that you might be crazy, well don’t. They are probably just jealous that you still have a funny bone in you and that they don’t. After all, being concerned about what others think about us only induces more stress upon ourselves.
So maybe my joke wasn’t that funny or it wasn’t funny at all but I still choose to believe that it’s funny and it made me laugh which is the point of this whole article. What do you guys think? Was my joke funny? What makes you guys laugh? Whatever it is, be sure to find time to LOL!
by Kevin
An average 22 year old with an unquenchable thirst for adventure and new experiences. Living life as it comes :) View all articles by Kevin.
