Ready for a belly laugh?

What’s one of the best ways to rid yourself of anxiety and worry?  Something that can help boost your immune system.  Something you can safely share with anyone.  A method of intentional distraction?

You guessed it.  Humour.  And I’m a big fan.

Today, I’m sharing a list of 36 of my favourite feel-good, funny, quirky movies to help you get through this great big curveball we’ve all been thrown.  I’ve also included an excerpt from my book that tells the story of how humour healed a famous doctor from a severe inflammatory disease.

Here’s the excerpt from Chapter 37, Be Light-Hearted from my book, Being Joy™

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Sometimes, we can just take ourselves and life itself a little bit too seriously. It’s all about perspective.

Today’s theme is all about giving yourself permission to laugh rather than curse. It’s a healthier response for your body and mind.

Take for example the personal story of Norman Cousins, the American author, professor, and political journalist, who was diagnosed with a severe inflammatory disease and was not expected to recover. In constant pain, he decided to try a different approach to healing. He chose laughter. He watched hours of funny movies and listened to funny stories. With just ten minutes of laughter, he reported that he could have two hours of pain-free sleep. As Cousins said, “Laughter is just inner jogging.”

Scientists and other experts agree that laughter is a legitimate form of therapy as can be seen by the many children’s hospitals and wellness centres that have introduced laughter therapy as a respected addition to their therapeutic toolbox. Researchers have found that laughter helps to lower blood glucose-levels for Type 2 diabetes as well as for immune system and cardiovascular health, not to mention the impact on stress reduction. So, the old saying that laughter is the best medicine is no longer just something we say – it’s backed by science.

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I am such a big believer in the power of humour to heal. I’ve experienced it in my own lifetime and time again have watched close family members benefit from humour when dealing with illness and other difficult issues.

Laughter can bring us closer together and elevate the collective energy of the room. In my opinion, there is nothing better than a good belly laugh to ease stress and return light to your heart. You see, joy cannot exist when there is stress, and therefore stress cannot exist when there is joy. Please choose joy as your natural state of being.

Today, I ask you to look for more opportunities to laugh – at yourself, at situations, and at some of the oddities of life (plenty of fodder in this department). And as you feel the rush of endorphins that fill your body, exhale and smile. For that is joyful living.

Here’s the list I promised of 36 of my favourite movies to heal your spirit through laughter.  Some of these are classics, while others may be new to you.  And when you read the list you might say, aaaahhhh, I remember you my old friend and you decide to watch it again.  Pop the popcorn, pull up your cozy blankie and roll em…

Airplane

Austin Powers – any will do

Beetlejuice

Best in Show

Big

Bridesmaids

Caddyshack

Deadpool

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Dr. Strangelove

E.T.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Forrest Gump

Fried Green Tomatoes

Hot Shots

Inside Out

Marx Brothers – any are great

Michael

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Mr. Mom

Mrs. Doubtfire

My Cousin Vinny

Naked Gun – any of the series

National Lampoon’s Vacation

Pink Panther – the original

Shrek – all funny

Sing

Sister Act – both are great

Smokey and the Bandit

Trading Places

The Jerk

The Sting

Three Amigos

Tootsie

When Harry Met Sally

Zoolander

What movies would you add to your list?

Enjoy and keep laughing!

Love from your Joy Mama,

P.S.    If you need a bit more help feeling joyful during these times of upheaval, my book might help.

If you enjoyed this post you may also enjoy these:
10 Ways to Help You Thrive During Difficult Times
Smiling is love energy
Two doors. One choice.
Ideas for your virtual Easter

 

Image courtesy of Pixabay.