I am sure you have heard that laughter is the best medicine.  When I decided to look into this claim, I found that both the Mayo Clinic and the Cancer Treatment Centers of America’s websites say that laughter can have positive health benefits including:

•          Improved overall attitude/mood
•          Reduced stress/tension
•          Pain relief by triggering the release of endorphins

Both sites also reference that forced smiling and laughter can active the same responses as genuine amusement.

I believe it also stands to reason that this impact is derived by your feelings of humor, not by those of people around you.  I mention this because I have a special affinity for puns that my husband does not share.  He likes to say “You’re funny.  You’re just not as funny as you think you are.”  He always says it with a smile but I am excited to now claim that I am promoting good health when I can’t stop laughing at some cringe-worthy pun.

I encourage you to chair this issue to improve your own health by taking the time to smile and laugh.  But for now, let’s table the topic.

Check.