A few years ago, I interviewed Butch Harman, the executive producer and cartoonist of the TV show, Fairly Odd Parents. He told his personal story how humor and laughter helped him through stressful times. Humor was an outlet that for him, became the focus of his career. But what Butch discovered is also true for all of us. A sense of humor goes a long way toward improving our physical health and mental health. It’s a powerful tool at your disposal. People who can laugh at themselves and with others show flexibility, a resiliency factor.

Humor has many benefits:

• It is a self-care tool that fosters a positive and hopeful attitude.
• It releases emotions and stimulates the immune system.
• It decreases the risk of heart attack.
• It helps fight pain as the body creates its own natural painkillers.
• It relieves tension and calms you down. When you have a good bout of laughter, the positive effects can last up to 45 minutes.
• It increases your chance of getting pregnant. What? Yes, according to a 2011 study with women going through in vitro fertilization, laughter from being entertained by a clown, improved their pregnancy chances by 16%. Not sure about the clown, but it surely can’t hurt to laugh more!

Studies at Cornell University found that people exposed to humor in the workplace were not only more creative problem-solvers, but could also see the consequences of their individual decisions better. So laughter even helps in the workplace.

Now, I’m not suggesting you laugh off serious matters in your life. We don’t want to deny or avoid problems. That strategy comes with its own set of problems. I am  simply saying that maintaining a sense of humor helps during difficult times.

So next time you feel stressed:

• Try to laugh (Even a forced laugh reduces stress!).
• Take a different perspective on a problem and add humor. I’ve seen this work during couples’ therapy!
• Watch a silly movie on one of your streaming services.
• Tell a joke. If you don’t know any, find one online! There are plenty of sanitized jokes that can break tension and help people relax.
• Tickle someone. Make sure you have permission first. You’ll probably laugh as much as your “tickle target.”
• Play a crazy game. Apples to Apples often prompts our group into fits of laughter.

You get the idea. Laughter may just might make you a healthier you! So thanks, Butch Hartman, for all the Nickelodeon cartoons you gave us through the years. And thanks, too, for the reminder that laughter is good medicine.