Why laughter really is the best medicine

Updated November 19, 2018.

Cat videos. A tickle attack. Tina Fey doing basically anything.

Chances are at least one of these things has reduced you to a fit of giggles or you can think of something else that’s left your eyes watery and your abs aching. Think about how that felt — did all your muscles turn to jelly and your entire body relax? Did you momentarily forget your annoying day at the office?

However you’d describe the experience, it probably felt great. And there are plenty of reasons why: a good laugh can do everything from soothing tension by taming stress and stimulating circulation to boosting endorphins, the feel-good brain chemicals responsible for that post-hilarity high. One British study even found that participants had a higher tolerance for pain after watching funny clips from South Park, The Simpsons, and Friends.

Cracking up is also a great way to bond — studies show it’s 30 times more likely to happen in a social context than when alone. “Sharing a joke or a laugh helps us connect on a personal, human level,” says Desmond Watt, a One Medical Chicago physician assistant. “It builds and strengthens relationships. These strong bonds have been shown to be possibly the most important piece in long and healthy lives. There’s always time for a good joke.”

But laughter isn’t just a temporary fix — research shows it has long-term benefits too. Some studies indicate that a sense of humor is associated with enhanced immune function and one study found that depressed patients who took part in a Laughter Yoga group (which is exactly what it sounds like) experienced a significant decrease in depression and a significant increase in life satisfaction, suggesting the laughing practice was at least as effective as group exercise for boosting mental health.

It may not come as a surprise then that laughter plays a pretty important role in health care too. In fact, it’s a sneaky way many providers get nervous patients to relax and the tactic is often hugely successful. “We may not tell actual jokes during blood draws, but we make amusing comments,” says Washington DC phlebotomist Mackenzie Snead. “Like we’ll say patients who aren’t fasting ‘must be slowing” or we refer to our phleb chair as an ‘iron throne’ because it’s just as sharp.”

Snead’s colleague Gillian Costa took things one step further last fall. “When I dressed up as a flu shot for Halloween and did a patient’s lab work while wearing it…that seemed to make them relax!” she laughs. “But that’s a once a year type of deal.”

We asked some other One Medical providers to share their favorite go-to jokes below — hopefully at least one will brighten your day and boost your mood:

A man walks into a doctor’s office. He has a cucumber up his nose, a carrot in his left ear and a banana in his right ear.
“What’s the matter with me?” he asks the doctor.
The doctor replies, “You’re not eating properly.”

Q: What’s Forrest Gump’s Facebook password?
A: 1forrest1.

Patient: Doctor, I have a serious memory problem. I can’t remember anything!
Doctor: So, since when did you have this problem?
Patient: What problem?

Q: Why did the scarecrow win a Nobel prize?
A: Because he’s out standing in his field. 

Q: You know why you never see elephants hiding up in trees?
A: Because they’re really good at it.

Q: Does an apple a day keep the doctor away?
A: Yes, but only if you aim it well enough. 

Q: How do you say “suppository” in Italian?
A: “Innuendo.”

Patient: “Doctor, it hurts when I do this [demonstrates]. Is there something wrong with me? What should I do?”
Doctor: “Don’t do that.”

A toddler was giving her daddy a tea party. She brought him a little cup of ‘tea’ which was just water, of course. After several cups of tea, her mom came home. Dad made her wait in the living room to watch his little princess bring him a cup of tea because it was ‘just the cutest thing!’ Mom waited, and sure enough, the little girl came down the hall with a cup of tea for daddy. Mom watched him drink it up and then said, ‘you know the only place she can reach water is the toilet!’ 

However you choose to get your laughs, make it a great April Fool’s Day and strive to get a daily dose of fun to enhance your overall health — doctor’s orders.