How to be happier by remembering the laughs
We all know the saying, ‘Laughter is the best medicine’.
Our intuition knows this to be true… it’s not just one of those old wives’ tales.
And the science certainly backs this up.
Research has shown that:
Laughter releases serotonin, just like anti-depressants
Laughter greatly increases relationship well-being in couples’ relationships
Laughter protects against the damaging effects of cardiovascular disease
Laughter in social situations triggers endorphin release (similar to opiods), promoting a sense of togetherness and safety.
And a great friend of 42courses, Meik Wiking certainly believes in the power of humour when it comes to happiness, as he explains here in this funny little story…
How to be happier through humour - Checklist
To get into a habitual, healthy and happy routine regarding humour, try out this checklist below.
If the 4 suggestions seem a bit too much at first, then treat the checklist like a menu, and just choose one or two ideas to start off with.
Best option would be, to get a lovely new small notebook for this and write down your thoughts with a pen, rather than typing in your phone, as science has shown that writing with paper and pen is a deeper sensory experience for your brain and is filled with benefits.
Daily 3 Funniest: Every night, before you go to bed, write down the 3 funniest things from your day.
What was the funniest thing? Try to encapsulate the deepest feelings you had at each moment.Back in the Day Funny: In your Happy Humour notebook, once a week, in a special section titled “The Funny Years”, go through each year of your life and write down the funniest thing that happened to you that year.
At first you might not be able to remember something for a particular year, but the more you do this, you’ll be amazed at how much the memories start flooding back.
Write down the story at length in full detail, mentioning all the people that were there, the weather, the scenery, what happened before and afterwards - this will all round out a vivid memory and be fantastic to look back on at a later date.Funny-ometer: Going through the day, keep a count of anything remotely funny that happened to you, or you saw or heard. It will probably more than you anticipated. Quickly write out each funny thing in brief to create a new total at the end of each day.
And this really gives you all the info you need for completing number #1 above.One more funny: Make a determined resolution to spare some time to voluntarily and proactively add one more funny to your day… even if it is only one minute.
- Watch a sitcom or romcom
- Look up your favourite comedian on Youtube.
- Phone your funniest friend
- Google for ‘dad jokes’
- Watch TikTok for some laughs, top tip is Francis the train spotter… but have a definite 5-minute limit!!!!
Looking for a genuine belly laugh to start things off?
Enjoy this absolute classic from Laurel and Hardy!
And while you’re filling up your happiness through humour, take a peek at our ‘Even Happier’ Course with Meik Wiking from the Happiness Research Institute in Denmark.
