When’s the last time you had a good laugh? I’m not talking about a little chuckle, but a full-fledged belly laugh. I’m talking about laughing uncontrollably till you’re out of breath, till you’re wiping the tears off your cheeks. You know the feeling, or at least I hope you do. Laughter, like crying, is difficult to fake.
Humans are hardwired for humor. Infants find their laugh as early as 18 weeks of age, and at eight months become itsy-bitsy comedians. Ask any parent what it feels like to hear their child laugh for the first time—it’s wonderful. Primates like chimps, gorillas and orangutans also love to laugh. I used to do a chimpanzee impersonation for laughs, but now I understand that my hyperventilating, “hoo, hoo, hee, hee” was just a simple chimp chuckle. Perhaps my daughter Cami would agree that I can’t resist acting like a kid sometimes.
I recently read that researchers have even witnessed laughter in rats. How’s that for a grad school project? Picture a room full of “serious” scientists tickle torturing their rodent subjects, uttering, “Coochy, coochy, coo, little fella!”
But, you don’t have to be a researcher to know that laughter relieves stress. A couple of years ago I was on the interstate and the car behind me was following way too close. Rather than dangerously tap my brakes, I playfully spritzed my windshield with washer fluid. I watched the spray hit the driver’s windshield, unexpectedly forcing her to engage her own wipers. Not only did this bring me a good laugh, but it stopped her unsafe tailgating as well. This is now my standard procedure with tailgaters, and it never fails to make me or my passengers laugh.
Silliness aside, until recently the field of psychology has generally ignored the topic of laughter. So, how important is the ability to find humor in our environment? There’s a growing body of research suggesting that laughter has therapeutic value. There are even certifications available—no joke. Laughing triggers the release of endorphins, stimulates our heart and lungs, increases oxygen intake and even relieves our aches and pains. I think it’s safe to say that laughter benefits both our mental and physical health.
So, go out in the world and find something to laugh about. There is no shortage of material out there, so it shouldn’t be difficult. And if you don’t take yourself too seriously, you can even laugh at yourself.
