The Power of Laughter: Why Sharing Joy with Friends is Vital for a Healthy Mind and Body

Recently, a close friend of mine, somewhat out of the blue, texted me that what she likes most about me is how much we laugh together.  Shortly after that, I visited a dear friend since high school who lives in Arizona.  She showed me an old photo album that had several pictures of the two of us during college days.  In one of the photos, we were both doubled over laughing, foreheads touching, just pure glee in being together and both finding something extremely hilarious.  And during the wonderful visit in Arizona so many decades later, we found ourselves giggling like the teenagers we were in those photos.  I left our visit feeling refreshed and renewed.  

Laughter and camaraderie fill the room at the Knuckleball comedy team-building event, where participants engage in lively activities and share smiles.

So this had me thinking about laughter and friendships.  I’ve written previously about the burst of oxytocin, that feel good hormone we get from laughter.  And I’m pretty sure there’s at least a double burst when we share that laughter with others, especially with good friends.  So, I was interested in a recent article discussing research that has found that although plenty of Americans have friends, many of them aren't seeing one another.  

For younger people focused on careers, raising children whose own schedules are jam packed with activities, planning hangouts becomes a form of social labor, which can easily feel like a chore.  And they have too many chores on their to do lists for the drudgery of “when are you free”  communications.  For us older folks, many who are retired and traveling, it’s also hard, it’s the “when are you in town and not babysitting for your grandchildren” question.  

The article suggests putting a recurring date on the calendar just as one would for a business meeting.  For some, this might be a good idea.  While spontaneity is the most fun, when you’ve struck out multiple times in putting together a last minute outing, maybe that recurring date makes sense.

Two things we do know - nurturing friendships is very important to having a full, happy life, and laughter is incredibly potent for a positive outlook and a powerful antidote to anxiety and other negative emotions.  In fact, I just read this morning an article about many scary things going on in the world.  The author concluded by saying that laughter may actually be more positive to counter this fear than all the political and legal analysis the experts provide.  

Of course, at Knuckleball Comedy, we’re all about laughter and bringing people together to share that laughter.  That is why people leave our events much like I did after my recent visit with my lifelong friend - feeling refreshed and renewed.