14 Reasons Why Laughter is Good Medicine

Kim Anthony • October 2, 2022

By Simply Health Today

Aside from strengthening relationships and increasing your level of comfort in certain situations, every time you laugh there are chemicals released that play an important role in boosting your health. When someone says laughter is the best medicine, they are not that far off as laughter really does have some great health benefits. Here are 14 health benefits that come from simply having a good laugh every once in a while. 

1. Boosts Your Immunity


Your immune system is extremely important to your overall health. The good news is, simply laughing can give your immune system a boost. Most people think that they need to take supplements, make sure to get lots of rest, work out regularly, and get plenty of vitamin D. While these are all important for your immune system, it turns out that laughter is just as good for you. One study that was published by the National Cancer Institute found that people who laugh on a regular basis decrease hormones related to stress inside their bodies. In addition, laughter will increase the number of natural killer cells and activated T cells, which are two things that can truly help your body stay healthy and strong. If you are feeling sick or down, try watching a favorite comedy and having a good laugh. There is a good chance that it will make you feel a little bit better. 


2. Gives You a Work Out


Have you ever laughed so hard you felt sore? A good belly laugh is almost as good as a good workout. In fact, it is a workout. There is a reason that you will feel sore after you have a good long laugh. Researchers have found that laughing, the physically intense whole body laughing, actually provides you with a mini-workout. This workout is very similar to doing aerobic exercises. Laughing hard will boost your respiratory rate, heart rate, and increase your oxygen consumption. Having a good hard laugh can give you some of the same benefits as a decent workout. However, the exercise benefits of laughing only come when you have periods of really intense laughter. Unfortunately, this means that sitting around watching funny videos is not going to be able to replace your real workouts. Even if laughter cannot replace your workouts, it can provide you with a few of the benefits and a lot more fun.


3. Gives You a Work Out


One of the parts of your body that loves laughter is the heart. Since your heart is a very important part of your body, it is important to make sure that you are doing all that you can in order to keep it healthy. While exercising and eating healthy foods are important for keeping your heart healthy, it turns out that laughing regularly is just as important for your heart health. The Cleveland Clinic found that laughing will immediately increase the blood flow to your heart. In the same way that aerobic exercise increases your blood flow to this important organ, laughter has the same effect. Getting that surge of extra blood flow to your heart on a regular basis can help reduce many scary heart-related issues. So, next time you want to feel good and boost your heart health, have a good laugh with some friends. Tell some jokes or watch a comedy, use the excuse that it is good for your heart.

4. Relieves Stress


There is nothing quite like a good laugh to help alleviate tension and stress. When you are feeling stressed, it can cause damage to your body. In fact, stress can cause many different health issues and most people do not realize this. If you are feeling stressed and simply need to relax, have a good laugh. The giggles can instantly relieve the stress response of the body and help to soothe any type of tension that you are holding inside. In addition, laughter during stressful times can help improve your mood. When your mood improves it is much easier to handle the problems that you might be facing. While laughter cannot solve all of your problems, it can help you feel better about the things that you are dealing with and make it a bit easier to move on and overcome the obstacles you might be facing. 


5. Clears the Mind


Are you a writer and have writer’s block? Perhaps you are just experiencing random brain fog. You walk into a room and forget what you went in there for. If this sounds familiar, there is some good news, laughter can help. The FASEB Journal published an article in 2016 that found that simple laughter can put your brain back into a state where you are able to think more clearly. If you are struggling to focus or simply have a case of brain fog, pop in a favorite comedy or watch a funny video and you might just be able to get your brain back into focus so that you can get your work done. Even if you are still feeling a bit of brain fog, you are going to feel better after you have a good laugh, so it is not going to hurt anything at all. Take the time to laugh and regroup and move on with your day with your brain in better focus. 


6. Pain Killer


Chances are when you have been hurt someone has told you to smile through it. There is also a good chance that you have taken a fall or bumped your arm or leg and even though it really hurts, you laugh at how clumsy you are. It turns out that laughter can be a great way to reduce the amount of pain that you are feeling. When you laugh your body releases endorphins that can help you feel better. While it may not be possible to truly laugh when you are in extreme amounts of pain, at least trying to smile and lighten the mood can go a long way in making you feel better. Have your friends tell you jokes or laugh with them about something dumb you have done. You will be surprised at how much better it can make you feel when you are experiencing any type of pain. 


7. Creativity


There are days when you are feeling very creative and are accomplishing tasks that you may not have thought you could. Then there are other days when you simply feel like you do not have a creative bone in your body. You might be struggling through ideas and feel like there is no way that you can accomplish the tasks that you set out to do because you are simply not feeling creative. If you are stuck in a rut and want to boost your creativity, try laughing. A little bit of humor can help to loosen up your mind. When you laugh you tend to be more relaxed and emotionally you feel a bit safer. When you are feeling relaxed and safe, your brain has more power to be more creative. If you are putting off a project because of a lack of creativity, a good laugh with some friends might be all that you need to get rolling again. 


8. Calorie Burner


Exercise is the most well-known way to burn calories. It is likely that you wear a tracker that tells you exactly how many calories that you burn during a workout. Perhaps you even count the calories that you eat. When it comes to staying healthy, chances are high that calories are going to come up in the conversation. One more great thing about laughter is that a secret health benefit of laughing is that you actually burn calories while you are doing it. Laughing for just ten to fifteen minutes a day can burn anywhere from ten to forty calories. If you have some good deep belly laughs, you are going to burn even more calories. While burning forty calories does not seem like a lot, it translates to losing about four pounds a year. This is just one more reason to make sure that you are filling your life with laughter. 


9. Lowers Your Blood Pressure


As mentioned, laughing reduces stress. One of the main causes of high blood pressure is stress. High blood pressure often is viewed as not a big deal. However, it can lead to many health issues including increasing the risk of developing heart disease and possibly having a stroke. The Journal of Research in Medical Science published a study that found that the act of simply laughing can actually help keep your blood pressure low. Once again, laughter helps to relax your body and relieves tension and stress that you may be holding onto. If you have been told that you have high blood pressure, try adding some good quality laughter to your life. Lighten up and tell some jokes. Make it a point to watch some comedies. Spend time with people who make you feel good. All of these things can go a long way when it comes to lowering your blood pressure.


10. Helps Ease Depression


Depression causes an overwhelming feeling of sadness. When a person is depressed, one of the last things that they will want to do is laugh. In fact, it can be difficult to find something that you even feel like laughing about. However, if you are suffering from depression or simply just feeling depressed, try to find something that will make you laugh. You might have to work at it and you might have to force that first giggle, but doing this can go a long way in alleviating some of the symptoms you are experiencing as the result of depression. One study conducted by the Journal of Alternative Medicine found that just three-hour-long laughter therapy sessions were enough to improve the mood states and the self-esteem of the participants. If you are diagnosed with depression, you might just want to ask about some laugh therapy sessions to help. 


11. Helps with Memory Loss


Over time your memory is likely to get worse. This is just really something that comes with age. Almost everyone experiences some form of memory loss throughout their life. It could be as simple as not remembering where you put something. Memory loss can become severe in some people and result in dementia. While laughter is not a cure for Alzheimer’s or Dementia, it can help combat memory loss. One study done by researchers from Experimental Biology found that watching a 20-minute humorous video before taking a memory test helped older adults score better when compared to people who did not watch the video. Once again, laughter has proven to be good for the health of your brain, which is why it is important to make sure that you are taking time to giggle and have some fun in your life. Your brain will thank you for this later.


12. Improves Function of Blood Vessels


The main job of your blood vessels is to transport blood all over your body and to keep everything running smoothly and properly. When you are stressed, your blood vessels will restrict. This makes it harder for blood to get to the areas of the body that need it. Once again, laughter can help. When you laugh your blood vessels will expand, which makes it easier for the blood to flow throughout the body and to the areas that it needs to be. Laughter causes you to relax more and feel better, when this occurs your blood vessels become healthier because they do not have to work as hard to get your blood throughout your body. Making the blood vessel’s job easier means that the vessels are going to be healthier overall. So if you are feeling stressed, laugh a little and improve your blood flow. Your body will thank you.



13. Reduces Inflamation


When it comes to health issues, most people do not realize that inflammation is often the main cause. Inflammation can occur anywhere in the body and causes many common health ailments. Heart disease and diabetes are common results of inflammation within the body. Heart attacks are caused when a blood clot prevents blood from getting through the body and to the heart. A person who has diabetes also has an increased risk of blood clots and heart attacks. Research has found that laughter can be used as a part of diabetic care as laughter improves good cholesterol throughout the body and helps to lower inflammation. Lowering inflammation is important in keeping the heart happy and healthier and since the heart is important for your overall health you should be doing all that you can to keep it healthy. Eating well, exercising, and having a good laugh are great ways to keep your heart happy. 


14. Helps You Through Tough Times


Life is hard and there are many times that you are going to struggle with things. Deaths of family members or close friends occur. There are sad times, stressful times, and times that you may just feel down. When you are feeling like this it can be difficult to see the good and the funny. However, if you can take a moment to reflect on good and happy times and remember all of those things, it can go a long way when it comes to getting you through those times that are a bit tougher. Finding a way to laugh during tough times can be extremely beneficial. Good endorphins are released, stress is released, and you will feel better overall. This doesn’t mean that you will not still feel sad, but laughing can help the pain or sadness not be as tough to get through.

This article orginally appeared in Simply Health Today

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Living in the Future First: Will.i.am on Dreaming, Building, and Becoming

By Kim Anthony • December 26, 2025
There’s a difference between working to survive — and working to build something that doesn’t yet exist. Will.i.am understands that difference intimately. Known around the world as a member of the Black Eyed Peas and a hit-making producer who has collaborated with artists like Nas, Ariana Grande, John Legend, The Game, Macy Gray, and Chris Brown, he is now also a tech entrepreneur with a traditional 9-to-5. But even with corporate structure in his life, his focus hasn’t changed. He is still building on his own terms — and encouraging other creators, builders, and founders to do the same. As he told Black Enterprise,“ Work-life balance means that you’re working for somebody else’s dream.” He’s not dismissing self-care. He’s reframing the idea entirely. Because for people who are designing something new — leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, visionaries — balance looks different. Dream–Reality Balance vs. Work–Life Balance Will.i.am says the conversation shouldn’t always be about work-life balance. It should be about dream–reality balance . “If you’re trying to build something that doesn’t exist, it’s about dream-reality balance. Work-life balance means that you’re working for somebody else’s dream. But if it’s dream-reality balance, then it’s not work. It’s a dream you’re trying to put into reality.” In other words, people who are building something new are not simply clocking in and clocking out. They are taking the vision they see in their mind — and pulling it into the world. And that requires a different level of focus, sacrifice, and persistence. Structure First — Creativity After There was a time when Will.i.am made music all day and tried to squeeze tech work into the margins at night. Now he has flipped that rhythm: structured work during the day creativity and dream-building from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. intentional discipline around both Not chaos. Not hustle culture. Not burnout. Structure in service of purpose. He encourages young people — especially those who want to create impact, launch businesses, build movements, or innovate — to think the same way: Build your future intentionally. Design your schedule around what you’re becoming — not only what you’re currently doing. Architects of the Future Think Differently Will.i.am is clear: people who are materializing visions cannot always think like people who simply maintain stability. “I’m not really paying attention to this reality., said Will.I.Am to Black Enterprise. "I’m trying to bring that one here… and to do that you have to sacrifice. Work-life balance is not for the architects that are pulling visions into reality.” He isn’t glorifying exhaustion. He is naming a truth: Creators, founders, and visionaries live in both worlds — the world that exists now, and the world they are birthing. And there are seasons when that requires staying committed long after the clock says “stop.” Learnings / Takeaways You must decide which reality you’re committed to. The current one — or the one you’re building. Purpose requires structure — not chaos. Discipline, schedules, and boundaries actually protect the dream. Sometimes “balance” isn’t the goal. Sometimes the goal is alignment: making sure your time reflects what you say matters. Builders think long-term. Entrepreneurs and visionaries live partly in the future — and pull it forward piece by piece. Sacrifice isn’t punishment. It’s investment. You’re trading comfort for creation.  Photo Credit: Will.i.am at the 2023 World Economic Forum by Foundations World Economic Forum is licensed under CC BY 2.0 .

Rise, Build, Reinvest: A Blueprint for Courageous Prosperity

By Kim Anthony • December 26, 2025
Dr. Rachel Laryea grew up as the daughter of a Ghanaian immigrant single mother — shaped by resilience, education, and deep curiosity about how people survive, thrive, and build. Her path took her from Goldman Sachs into the heart of global finance, and then into academia at Yale University, where she earned a dual PhD in African American Studies and Sociocultural Anthropology. She walked into Wall Street as both insider and outsider. And that tension — belonging and questioning at the same time — became the catalyst for her new book, Black Capitalists: A Blueprint for What Is Possible. Laryea describes her early corporate experience as a kind of “culture shock.” Goldman Sachs exposed her to wealth, privilege, speed, and power — but also to contradictions. The environment raised more questions than answers and set her on a path of asking: How do Black people navigate an economic system that has often profited from our labor — while rarely inviting us to benefit fully from it? That curiosity didn’t push her away from capitalism. Instead, it pushed her deeper into understanding how it works — and how it could work differently. Challenging the Story: Are Black People Only Labor — Never Beneficiaries? Much of academic conversation about capitalism and race assumes one truth: that Black participation inevitably leads to exploitation. There is history to support that view — slavery, discriminatory banking systems, and a racial wealth gap that remains wide. But Laryea noticed something striking during her time on Wall Street: Black people — and people of color — were not only surviving inside the “belly of the beast.” They were navigating, negotiating, growing, and sometimes redirecting resources back into their communities. Their relationship with capitalism wasn’t simple. It was: complicated strategic layered sometimes contradictory That realization reframed her work. Instead of asking whether Black people “belong” in capitalism, she began asking: What happens when Black people learn to reposition themselves inside the system — intentionally, ethically, and purposefully — to create social good? What Does It Mean To Be a “Black Capitalist”? In Black Capitalists, Laryea distinguishes between two ideas. A Black capitalist is someone who identifies as Black and deliberately repositions themselves within the economy to benefit — and to create social good. This isn’t about greed. It isn’t about replicating harm. It is about strategy, power literacy, and responsibility. Meanwhile, Black capitalism itself, she argues, is race-agnostic. Anyone — individually or collectively — can practice it, if the intention is to use economic tools to build, heal, strengthen, and expand opportunity. This way of thinking disrupts the traditional narrative that capitalism is either villain or savior. Instead, it becomes a tool — one that can be shaped. When Access Becomes Agency Laryea highlights real people using capitalism differently. Like a Goldman Sachs employee and Ifa priest who sees himself as a “spy” — gaining access, gathering resources, and redistributing them into Black communities. Nigerian-born entrepreneur Wemimo Abbey , co-founder of Esusu, whose company allows renters to build credit through their rent payments while preventing evictions. Abbey calls it a “win-win-win” because renters build credit, landlords stay paid and society reduces homelessness. This is capitalism leveraged — not blindly accepted. Choosing to Tell Her Own Story Many women Laryea interviewed feared exposure, even anonymously. Their experiences in corporate spaces mirrored hers: ambition, isolation, ceilings, contradictions, and the emotional costs of navigating systems not built for them. So she chose to stand in the gap — and tell her own story. By naming her experience, she honored theirs. Because so many Black professionals know this tension. We are invited to participate — but not always welcomed to benefit. Not Dismantle vs. Endorse — But Transform Laryea is realistic. Capitalism isn’t disappearing tomorrow. And ignoring it will not shield anyone from its impact. Her question becomes deeply pragmatic: If the system exists — how do we learn it, navigate it, use it, and reshape it toward justice? She calls for collective clarity and alignment. Lock arms. Get on the same page. Use tools wisely. Build equity wherever possible. Choose agency instead of reaction. Not assimilation. Not blind participation. Learnings / Takeaways Here are the deeper lessons her work invites: Power is not evil — but unmanaged power harms. Understanding economic systems is part of community protection and advancement. Access without purpose is empty. It’s not enough to “get in the door.” What matters is how resources flow once you're inside. Capitalism is a tool — not an identity. Tools can build homes — or burn them down. The hands using the tool matter. Participation is not betrayal. Black participation inside systems does not equal complicity when the intent is repair, uplift, and reinvestment. Storytelling matters. Naming our journeys gives others courage to step into power thoughtfully and responsibly. The work is collective. Transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when communities align — intentionally, strategically, bravely.

From Bankruptcy to Blueprint: How Red Lobster’s New CEO Is Rebuilding From the Inside Out

By Kim Anthony • December 26, 2025
When Damola Adamolekun stepped into Red Lobster after its 2024 bankruptcy, he didn’t just inherit financial distress. He inherited exhaustion, confusion, and broken trust. This wasn’t only a balance sheet problem — it was a people problem. Instead of rushing into drastic cuts, he started with listening. He walked locations, asked questions, and acknowledged what employees were carrying. Many were simply “beat down.” That honest reset created space for real rebuilding to begin. People First — Because Culture Drives Performance Adamolekun treated employees as partners in the turnaround, not as line items. Town halls, conversation, training, and performance incentives restored dignity and ownership. As morale improved, customer experience improved. Recovery didn’t begin with marketing campaigns — it began with people feeling valued again. Restoring Order Before Chasing Growth Red Lobster’s decline had grown over time through high leases, outdated systems, and inconsistent operations. Adamolekun moved decisively but with discipline: renegotiating costly leases trimming unnecessary overhead tightening financial controls modernizing technology and data Speed mattered — but structure mattered more. Stability became the foundation for everything that followed. Modernizing Without Losing the Brand With systems stabilized, innovation was intentional. Menu refreshes, updated presentation, and more accessible pricing brought new energy while honoring the classics guests still love. The goal wasn’t reinvention — it was relevance. Innovation supported the mission instead of replacing it. Culture First. Numbers Next. Projected profitability by 2026 signals more than a financial comeback. It reflects alignment returning across the organization — stronger systems, motivated teams, and customers reconnecting. True turnarounds rarely start in spreadsheets. They begin with clarity, trust, and disciplined execution — and then the numbers follow. Leadership With Courage and Care At just 36, Adamolekun models a leadership style rooted in empathy and decisiveness. He acknowledged pain, took ownership, made difficult choices, stayed visible, and invited people back into purpose. He recognized that morale isn’t “extra.” It is infrastructure. Learnings / Takeaways Repair trust before fixing strategy. People cannot perform in survival mode. Morale is operational. Respected teams deliver better service and stronger results. Discipline beats drama. Order and systems must precede aggressive growth. Innovate thoughtfully. Refresh the experience without abandoning the brand’s core. Culture drives outcomes. Healthy organizations produce healthy numbers.
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