Most people agree that humor is a stress reliever, similar to other positive emotions. Laugh, and you feel better.
Scientific evidence concurs.
Laughter helps the body to provide its own type of medication. Humor can medically stimulate the immune system. Norman Cousins was the first to bring attention to the benefits of therapeutic humor in his book Anatomy of an Illness. Cousins dedicated himself to exploring how humor and laughter effect the body and wellness. Studies have shown that laughter lowers serum cortisol levels, and increases the number and activity of natural killer cells. In non-medical jargon, laughter stimulates the immune system, off-setting the unwanted effects of stress. Humor can lower your blood pressure and give you energy.
Even without the scientific evidence, consider this: Humor feels better than sadness and you can never overdose on it.
