The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease. ~ Voltaire
We cannot really love anybody with whom we never laugh. ~ Agnes Repplier
Have you and your spouse ever found something to be funny and you reach a point where you feed off each other? Most often this happens when you’re watching a somber play, or in the middle of church, or even during dinner at a quiet restaurant. But your giggles feed the other’s and off you go.
Laughter is contagious. It’s also beneficial to life and marriage.
Benefits of Laughter
- Reduction of stress and tension
- Stimulation of the immune system
- An increase of natural painkillers in the blood
- A decrease in systemic inflammation
- Reduction of blood pressure
- Lifts your spirits
- Brings couples closer together
- Can help keep a relationship fresh.
There are other medical benefits than the ones listed above. Our cardiovascular and respiratory systems, for example, benefit more from twenty seconds of robust laughter than from three minutes of exercise on a rowing machine. Through laughter, muscles release tension and neurochemicals are released into the bloodstream, creating the same feelings the long-distance joggers experience as “runner’s high.”
It has also been discovered that for some hospital patients, ten minutes of genuine belly laughter would have an anesthetic effect that could give a couple hours of pain-free sleep.
Humor brings more than just physiological benefits to a husband and wife. Humor helps us cope.
Humor relieves the tension that can build up between people. It also will bond you with those you laugh with. Research has found that laughter produces Oxytocin, a chemical in the brain also referred to as the bonding chemical.
Learning to laugh a little more just may save your life, not to mention your marriage. To paraphrase Henry Ward Beecher, “A marriage without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs – jolted by every pebble in the road.”
Still not convinced?
Take it from these professionals: Legendary comedian Bob Hope said laughter is an “instant vacation.” Jay Leno says, “You can’t stay mad at somebody who makes you laugh.” And Bill Cosby says, “If you can find humor in anything, you can survive it.”
Studies reveal that individuals who have a strong sense of humor are less likely to experience burnout and depression and they are more likely to enjoy life in general – including their marriage.
So lighten up. Stop taking yourself so seriously.
And while we’re on the subject, stop taking life so seriously; we aren’t getting out of it alive anyway!
Editor’s Note: This is one of the chapters from Buck Naked Marriage: Strip away the unnecessary and focus on the bare essentials, due to be released Tuesday, November 9th.
(photo source)
So true!
I haven’t found many things more enjoyable than laughing with my husband. Laughing at each other, in the car, at the park – whatever we’re doing is more enjoyable with laughter. I’ve even noticed that he always attempts to make me laugh or smile when we’re getting too serious in a discussion – even in arguments. It helps. It IS hard to be upset with someone who makes you laugh
I completely agree. Laughter really is the best medicine!
Great post!
Terrific post. I find that how much my husband and I are laughing together is a great barometer for our “togetherness,” too.
Dear Corey,
This is a great piece. I have deliberately explored this and found it effective. It brings instant relief and helped my wife and I to reconnect emotionally. As a relationship coach, I know that there is a foundation for joyful relationships. Your book “Buck Naked Marriage: Strip away the unnecessary and focus on the bare essentials” is supportive of the need to build our relationships on a foundation that would support it. Thank you for wonderful book.