Jeff is a litigator. He comes from a long line of attorneys who are skilled in courtroom proceedings and the art of legal argument. No case is beyond Jeff’s ability to create a plausible story to support his client’s position. Jeff’s oratory is always convincing, self-assured, and dynamic. He is a serious man functioning in a world of high stakes, giving comfort to his clients that their fate is in good hands. However, with all the courtroom drama in Jeff’s life, the one thing he does not take too seriously is himself. Yes, despite Jeff’s need to maintain a “game face” in his work, when it comes to his personal life, Jeff is more relaxed and much less intense. Early in his career, he observed the practice of law consuming his father and older brothers to their own personal and physical detriment. Watching them battle a variety of medical problems, several of which he attributed at least in part to the stress of their profession, Jeff has found ways to renew himself and create a good work–life balance. At the heart of his approach are fun and laughter, two strategies that have served him well over a successful career.

Jeff is an engaging guy who likes a good joke and enjoys comedy, whether in movies, plays, or television shows. It gives him a reason to laugh and provides a respite from the rigor of the courtroom. Laughing is one of Jeff’s guilty pleasures.

Laughter has also served Jeff well in his social life. Still a bachelor at forty-five, he finds that a funny story is a great icebreaker on dates. The women he sees enjoy his lighthearted attitude, which puts them at ease. Seeing another side to what they often think is a hard-edged man makes them feel more comfortable in his company and they like that.

Jeff also gets a good dose of fun and laughter spending time with his three teenage nephews. Whether attending a game of their favorite pro sports team, deep-sea fishing, or a round of golf, the boys love hanging out with their uncle. He is always able to break through their reserved teenage boy personas and get them laughing along with him, no matter what the setting. Over the years, these moments have brought them closer and created a relationship that they all value.

As a younger man, Jeff used laughter to inject balance into a serious and intense career. It just seemed intuitive given what he observed in his father and brothers. There was no consideration of the science behind his instinct. Regardless, Jeff’s instincts were right and appear to be working. He has been able to develop a lifestyle cadence that maintains his stamina and keeps him fresh and relatively stress free. His work–life balance has helped him stay in good shape physically and mentally. And it looks as if his time as a bachelor may just be coming to an end.

As a man who gives advice and counsel for a living, his recommendation to young lawyers is to use laughter and pursue activities that foster fun and laughter. He tells them that the approach has worked for him and brought a new level of purpose and meaning to his life, outside the courtroom, which interestingly has made him a better lawyer.

Narrative Transition

Growing up as the oldest of five children, I was the de facto leader among the siblings, so from an early age, a level of seriousness came with my role and really stuck in my personality. You know the drill, there’s nothing formal, and you get no additional allowance. There’s just this sort of cultural expectation that “as oldest” you perform certain functions. In my case, it was taking the trash out each week and mowing the lawn. Maybe because not only was I the oldest but (a classic reflection of a child in the sixties and seventies) I was the only boy until my brother was born when I was thirteen. Yes, it was just my three sisters and me for quite a while.

Now, with four kids and then five in the house when I hit high school, mayhem was a daily occurrence. School, sports, and the logistics of day-to-day living posed regular challenges to the order of things. Mom was a full-time homemaker and, together with dad, did her best to keep our home a relatively safe and organized environment. When I look back at how we managed, it was clear that laughter played a big part in our ability to get along. Even though I had a semi-serious designation, I quickly saw that a joke, a funny observation, or anything that brought a little levity and calm to the forefront was a useful strategy. Little did I know that it also injected a bit of health in us all.

My dad proved to be a role model when it came to laughter. A lawyer by trade, outside of the court room or legal proceeding where he clearly showed his serious side, he was known as a happy-go-lucky guy who enjoyed life and longed to have fun whenever or whatever the circumstances. Music, dancing, and storytelling created a regular framework for laughter.

When I became a father, I learned very quickly that laughter was a way to cope with the responsibilities of fatherhood. I let my children know that the challenges of life need perspective, and that laughter is a great source of that perspective.

Laughter’s first cousin is optimism, another trait that emerged from our household growing up. While my parents were very much realists, we grew up with a sense that the glass was always half-full, a value that I still hold today. Like laughter, the science strongly suggests that there are health benefits to an optimistic outlook on life.

Today, my grandson loves to “roughhouse” with me whenever we’re together. Being careful not to hurt myself or him, it’s a phenomenal generator of laughter—I’m talking the belly-buster kind. It takes me full circle, from the days of my childhood to my life as a grandfather. Laughter has served as the magic that soothes the pain of life, resolves differences, and builds bonds, all the while contributing to the health and well-being of my family and me. Truly, laughter is nature’s way of offering a healing hand, one that has been a big part of my life.

Had a good laugh lately? If you have, consider it an installment toward a healthy lifestyle. Laughter is one of many easy things we can all do that have tangible health benefits. In fact, there is scientific proof that laughter can contribute to both our physiological and psychological well-being. Talk about a low-cost, painless way to enrich our lives, what’s easier than a good laugh?

Now before you start thinking that you can laugh yourself into shape, keep in mind that laughter is only one behavior of the physical and social strategies that can help support the more challenging tasks of diet and exercise. Still, laughter, like our relationships and sleep habits, can play a strong complementary role. If we are looking for a great way to help fight the aging process, increase your happiness, and make us feel good, laughter deserves a place on all our checklists of healthy practices.

Laughter and Your Relationships

One of the most interesting aspects of laughter is the connection between laughter and relationships. While it’s an established motivator for healthy behavior, laughter has its own direct positive impact on our health and the ability to strengthen relationships. Strengthening a personal relationship can help support healthy behavior and strong emotional relationships, such as with a spouse or significant other, and is a primary source of inspiration to sustain positive behaviors.

More Benefits of a Good Laugh

In addition to strengthening our special relationships, laughter has some very powerful effects on our health. William Fry, a professor of psychology at Stanford University, was a pioneering investigator who studied laughter and healing, and created the term gelotology, the study of laughter. His landmark work on the physical processes that occur when we laugh provided evidence of the positive physiological impact of humor, which paved the path for future study. He documented that human emotions interact with the mind and body in complex and powerful ways that can have a positive impact on our health, which now is a generally accepted fact.

One such study found that psychological changes in the body may result from vigorous laughter resulting in relaxed muscles, improved respiration, enhanced circulation, increased production of endorphins, and decreased production of stress-related hormones. A good laugh has great short-term effects that bring about physical changes in our bodies including the stimulation of many organs, activation, and relief of our stress response, and the soothing of tension. Over the long term, laughter can improve our immune system, relieve pain, increase personal satisfaction, and improve our mood.

Laughter is also good for our hearts. It appears to go beyond the belly and the brain—arteries respond to it in healthy ways that could improve blood flow and long-term health. One Texas study measured artery function and flexibility during laughter. In this study, the measures improved immediately and stayed that way for almost twenty-four hours in the volunteers who watched a comedy. Laughter might also have serious psychological benefits as well.

Although there are some limitations to the current medical literature on laughter, enough evidence supports the notion that laughter as part of your basic behavior helps prevent disease, reduces costs, and ensures a healthier population.

Looking for Laughter in All the Right Places

Having presented the evidence on the benefits of a good laugh, the only question is, where can you find laughter on a consistent basis? For help, consider the advice of Debbie Kerr, a cancer survivor and self-proclaimed purveyor of wit and laughter. Kerr recommends a number of places to look for a good laugh. These include comedians, pictures, videos on social media, friends and family, coworkers and simply laughing at yourself.

Among the recommendations for keeping humor in your life are reading funny books, watching funny movies and television, collecting funny jokes, sending funny cards and emails, and looking for humor in ordinary routines and unexpected mix-ups in your life. No matter the origin, it’s about the comfort to let loose and genuinely enjoy the moment.

For me, laughter seems to emanate from everyday life: situations at home, the office, and, of course, my grandchildren. What drives some of my biggest laughs are family conversations, typically at holiday meals and special occasions, where my oldest son—the movie buff—and me, pepper our dialogue with quotes from our favorite movies. I don’t know why but throwing in some classic movie lines into our conversations seems to set us into a laughing frenzy that has our respective spouses shaking their heads wondering what’s so funny, as my son and I are doubled-over in laughter, a classic father-and-son moment.

Laughter Comes in All Shapes and Sizes

When you think about it, a wide variety of human responses qualify as laughter, from the hearty guffaw or roar to the more subdued snicker or chuckle.

Believe it or not, the Laughter Online University actually cites fifteen ways to describe laughter. They also describe a number of laughter synonyms that we all recognize: split your sides, burst out, and crack up. In short, we have a wide variety of ways to inject humor in our lives.

No matter when we may find the opportunity to laugh, or the kind of laughter in which we may engage, the evidence is clear—laughter is good for us. While it doesn’t alleviate the need to watch our diet and exercise, it represents a no-cost, fun way to bring a bit of happiness into our lives and contribute to our health and well-being. Go ahead. Have a good laugh, after all, laughter is the best medicine!

From Saving Men from Themselves: 20 Proven Tactics With a New Approach to Healthy Living For Men Over 50 by Louis Bezich, Men’s Health Advocate and Author