Go ahead and laugh, but the funny thing is, we’re No. 1

Arizona is No. 1 in a national ranking about how often we laugh.

OK, sure, it’s a survey of 1,500 people by the candy company that makes Laffy Taffy. But too often Arizona ranks in the bottom, recently in education spending, highway safety, affordable housing and child well-being. So we’ll take it.

We could use a laugh. We do live here, after all.

Arizona ranked first in a Top 10 list of states whose residents report laughing at least 10 times a day. Half of Arizonans surveyed said they do.

Bottom of the list was California with 35 percent of residents laughing at least 10 times a day. (Maybe it’s the traffic.)

So, who cracks us up most? According to the survey, 33 percent said it’s our significant others, followed by our friends (27 percent). It’s our kids who most frequently make 19 percent of us laugh. For 9 percent, it’s our siblings.

Only 7 percent said it was mom. (Which makes me question this survey because I’m hilarious.) Only 5 percent said dad most regularly cracks them up.

I suspect it’s the dad jokes, more groan than guffaw. (What does a cactus wear to a business meeting? A cac-tie.)

Almost everyone said they enjoy making others laugh. I get that. Laughter connects us. We like people who make us laugh, or laugh at our jokes, or laugh with us.

Maybe dad is onto something with those jokes.

Laughter helps us relax and even sleep better. Just a few minutes of laughter can reduce stress and blood pressure and boost our immune systems. The giggles give us a dose of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals.

More than that, laughter can lift us in the worst situations. I’ve heard it at homeless shelters and at hospitals and funerals. It is the sound of resiliency. It beats the alternative.

No joke.