In 2020, among the COVID and political turmoil, I found myself extremely stressed. I would be trapped in negative runinations on my way to work. It was not good.
One day I couldn't take it anymore.
I decided to give up news and social media.
Instead I listened to comedy. Every morning on my way to work I put on Stand Up specials or watched Craig Ferguson re-runs.
This way I started my day laughing instead of mentally living in a hypothetical apocalyptic world.
And we all know how good laughter feels.
In fact, humor may be one of the most powerful medicines.
Even studies show it's efficacy:
“In modern society, fierce competition and socioeconomic interaction stress the quality of life, causing a negative influence on a person's mental health. Laughter is a positive sensation, and seems to be a useful and healthy way to overcome stress. Laughter therapy is a kind of cognitive-behavioral therapies that could make physical, psychological, and social relationships healthy, ultimately improving the quality of life. Laughter therapy, as a non-pharmacological, alternative treatment, has a positive effect on the mental health and the immune system. In addition, laughter therapy does not require specialized preparations, such as suitable facilities and equipment, and it is easily accessible and acceptable.”
Cortisol is the stress hormone that causes us a lot of pain and suffering.
Laughter reduces this hormone significantly.
“Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that even a single laughter session induced a significant reduction of 36.7% in cortisol”
It's easy to find laughter these days. You just have to find your preferred genre (slapstick, deadpan, story telling, witty, etc).
Some of my favorite stand ups of the last few years:
Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer
Michelle Wolf: It’s Great to Be Here
Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs
Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American
Ronny Chieng: Love to Hate it
There are a ton of options to find a way to laugh. If you're really struggling, you could try laughing yoga…