Create a Laughter as Medicine Kit

This post is all about ideas for adding more laughter to your life!

While laughter may or may not be the best medicine, it sure can make a difference.

I’ve been compiling a list of things that make me laugh, and it’s turned into a kind of first aid kit for making me feel better. Being intentional about cultivating joy and laughter has been even more important to me since I’ve been dealing with multiple chronic illnesses as well as chronic pain. Maybe you’re dealing with similar health challenges, or just looking for tips to improve your wellbeing. So I’m going to share ideas with you so you can make your own customized laughter kit!

Having a list of funny resources has been helpful because my brain is often fried due to chronic illness (hellooooo brain fog!). Instead of having to hunt around when I need a pick me up, I can use my kit as a jumping off point. (I printed my list off, but you can save it to your phone or wherever makes sense for you.)

Oftentimes, when I need a pick-me-up, my brain is too fried to think “Oh, I should watch or read such-and-such, that always makes me feel happier!” So, that’s why I’m making this list, so I know what tools I have in my laughter-as-medicine kit.

Before we dive into making a laughter-as-medicine kit…how exactly does laughter help?

I think we all know that laughter is a good thing, especially if you’re dealing with chronic illnesses, but did you know it can physically make a difference?

“A possible explanation could be that humor activates the release of endorphins and relieves muscular tension, thus having an effect on pain on both a mental and physical level.” (from Medical News Today)

I’ve found that laughing can be helpful when my blood pressure is low due to dysautonomia, or if I’m having trouble breathing due to asthma or tachycardia. I think it has to do with laughing forcing air in and out of my lungs, but it could also just be that laughter helps my nervous system relax enough that I get some relief.

And it looks like science supports this:  “The benefits of laughter are believed to be rooted in our nervous system. […] Any type of laughter stimulates diaphragmatic breathing, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and triggers the ‘tend-and-befriend’ response linked to healthy tone in your vagus nerve. Just ten minutes of laughter is sufficient to trigger mental and physical health benefits.” (from Psychology Today)

We can also harness laughter to improve mood. “One of the most well-known benefits of laughter is the release of endorphins. Commonly referred to as the “happy hormone”, endorphins can improve mood.” (from Depression Alliance)

And we can benefit from even anticipating laughter. How cool is that? Planning intentional time for laughter can benefit us. 

For more about the study on anticipating laughter, check out this article: Hacking Into Your Happy Chemicals: Dopamine, Serotonin, Endorphins and Oxytocin. It provides a helpful breakdown of what triggers different happiness neurotransmitters.

Also, did you know that we laugh more when we’re around other people? According to this study, “Laughter was 30 times more frequent in social situations than solitary ones. When alone, people were much more likely to talk to themselves or smile than to laugh.”

This makes a lot of sense, and it got me thinking about the ramification for those of us who are chronically ill. A lot of us deal with being isolated or homebound, and I for one know my social life has been greatly impacted by being so sick. So, I try to find times to share something funny with others when I’m able to, and to remind myself that I can (and should!) laugh out loud when I’m alone. Sometimes it can feel a little awkward (I have no idea of the psychology of that, considering we’re not around anyone to judge us!), but I’ve found that once I started paying attention to this phenomenon and gave myself permission to laugh by myself, I laugh more freely and more often.

So let’s dive into how to build your kit.

 (Please note: The intention of this post is NOT to say that humor should be used in place of medical treatment or medicine. Adding more laughter to my life is something I do on top of the prescriptions and treatments I receive from medical professionals. And while laughter can help me feel better, at times it unfortunately doesn’t seem to have any affect. Laughter doesn’t make me WELL, but it’s a tool that has the potential to at least make me feel BETTER. I hope this post provides you with some more tools for you to add to your wellness toolbox.)

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Resources for Your Laughter-As-Medicine Kit

There are many different things you can put in your kit. I tend to think just in terms of books that would make me laugh, but there are a lot of types of media that you can use in your kit.

I like having different types of things or media in my list so that I always have something funny “on hand.”

I’ll share some examples of the things that crack me up. I prefer clean humor, so that’s what you’ll find here, but head’s up, my sense of humor has been called things like “odd” and “bizarre.” So if you’re on the same wavelength, you’ll love everything I’ve linked to! If my style isn’t your thing, customize away, and find those hilarious things that speak to you!

Movies

Jot down some of your favorite movies that never fail to crack you up. Some of my favorites include Arsenic and Old Lace and The Emperor’s New Groove. (I may have these movies almost memorized…)

YouTube

I’m so thankful YouTube exists when I’m having a particularly crummy day. Here are some of my favorite YouTubers, as well

Olan Rogers has a gift for telling stories about anything and making them hilarious. His sense of humor is infectious and I’ve frequently had to pause his videos to because I’m laughing so hard I’m crying and out of breath! I particularly like this story about a bat freaking him out.

James Veitch has a hilarious series responding to spam emails and turning the tables on scammers. My favorite video is about him pranking his roommates with rubber ducks. Lots and lots of rubber ducks.

Google Translation Fails—Melinda Kathleen Reese runs songs through translations into many languages, then back into English with zany results. For instance, here’s an ABBA medley that is completely wacky.

Brandon Farris simply cracks me up! Some of his best videos feature him epically failing at trying to follow Bob Ross tutorials (here’s his first attempt).

Oregon Zoo Tiny Goats Visit—This is one of my favorite channels because it is adorable and the inquisitiveness of the animals always cheers me up. Zoo staff members take two goats on tours of the zoo to meet other animals; one of my favorite videos shows them meeting and interacting with otters.

Bonus: This is a ridiculous video called How Animals Eat Their Food. I’m not sure how it’s possible, but the blooper reel is even funnier. Which reminds me…

Blooper Reels

I watch these all the time on DVDs—it’s what I look forward to most after I finish watching a movie! If you don’t have the DVDs, you can search for a lot of blooper reals on YouTube too. I love the reel from Pirates of the Caribbean so much I sometimes quote it…which really confuses people…

Pinterest

The perfect place for collecting memes, cat photos, and any other random funny things. Here’s my humor board to get you started.

Comedians

Tim Hawkins—is a Christian comedian who is hysterical. His version of pop songs are hilarious, and as a homeschooler, I really appreciate his gentle mocking of homeschool culture. This is one of my favorite of his videos.

John Christ—another great Christian comedian on YouTube. One of my favorite videos? Church Parking Lot Road Rage.

Other comedians I enjoy are Jimmy Fallon (especially the Thank you Notes segment of his show), James Corden (especially the Crosswalk Musical skits, like this one on Broadway), and Jim Gaffigan (who’s on Netflix and Prime). They have a lot of funny content, but head’s up, not all of it is family friendly.

TV Shows

The Carbonaro Affect is a hilarious hidden camera magic TV show where a magician baffles unsuspecting people in stores, on the sidewalk, art galleries, etc.

Books

Simon’s Cat—A friend and I discovered one of the Simon’s Cat books at a library, and then proceeded to read the whole thing together while sitting at a coffee shop, literally crying we were laughing so much. One of the great things about these books—there are no words! If your eyes are too tired for reading, the pictures are hilarious and easy to take in.
I also love comics like Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes (I’ve linked to two of my favorite collections).
If you’re looking beyond comics, The Lightning Thief is fantastic, and Percy is a hilarious narrator.

Games

Mad Libs would be a great game to play via phone or video call when your chronic illness keeps you at home. Able to hang out with others? Apples to Apples and Man Bites Dog are hilarious options.

Songs

Only one song immediately comes to mind, but I bet you can find other songs that tickle your funny bone. Words Crimes by Weird Al Yankovic is about all the ways grammar gets mutilated, and the writing nerd in me loves that!

Share

Make others laugh! There’s nothing more rewarding than knowing you made someone else laugh. Share something you found funny via text, social media, or give someone a call to share that funny story.

Ask

My friends are wonderful about sending me funny videos or pictures of their pets or kids when I need cheering up. Reach out if you need a good laugh, and you’ll get the bonus of connecting with those you love.

I’m sure there are other funny resources you could include in your kit. Maybe podcasts, or video games, or apps? Share your ideas in the comments!

Are you going to make a laughter-as-medicine kit? What will you put in yours?
What other forms of media or tools could you put in your laughter-as-medicine kit?

Note: This blog post is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. I am not a health care provider and what I share is based on my personal experience.  Always talk to your doctor when making changes to your treatment or before trying something new.