When is the last time you had a good laugh? I mean a really good laugh? One of those ones that you laugh so hard your stomach muscles tense, your eyes tear up, your face is all scrunched up and you can’t stop?
Isn’t that one of the best feelings? And if it makes us feel so good, why don’t we laugh like that every single day? Why do we wait for moments to make us laugh, rather than make moments so that we can laugh?
While my husband and I were on shopping holiday in Erie PA a few weeks ago we had one of those moments, thanks to my silliness. We were in our hotel room, and we were both over tired. We had spent then entire previous day shopping at an outdoor outlet mall, and the entire current day shopping at a big indoor mall. We were debating on what to do for dinner and both being indecisive. It’s funny when we are over tired, how silly we can be. So in order to make my hubby smile, I started to dance around the room, flailing my arms and legs around. To which my husband said “You look like a friggin scarecrow flailing in the wind”. Well then it started, we both laughed so hard, my stomach was killing me, we couldn't catch our breathe and we couldn't stop.
Do you believe after that bout of laughter that we both felt better? Rejuvenated? And ready to finally make a decision on what to eat for dinner.
When I did some research on laughter, I found that a small child typically laughs more than four hundred times each day, and an adult – seventeen times.
I think it’s easier to complain than to laugh, easier to be negative than to joke around, easier to yell than be understanding and easier to be serious than just be silly. I know life is serious most days and we all have serious problems, illness, and issues that we have to deal with. That is apart of life. But what is stopping us from laughing more. I just don’t think 17 times a day is enough laughter to keep us happy. To keep us smiling. To keep us relaxed.
Here are some helpful tips I came up with to help you laugh more often during the day:
1. Watch an old rerun of “Threes Company”
2. Ask someone to tell you a joke
3. Go to Youtube and search “funny falls”. I don’t know why, but watching people fall seems to get us all laughing out loud!
4. Farts…..need I say more?
5. Join in when you hear other people laugh, it is contagious
6.Last but not least, if all else fails, start flailing your arms around like a scarecrow…..it will make anyone in the room laugh as well as yourself.
Laughter has been proven by science to actually be good for us. Here are some benefits to laughter.
• Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
• Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
• Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
So I leave you with a joke to make you healthier today by laughing.
There was once a very prim and proper older lady who had a problem with passing gas. Since she came from a generation when people didn't even talk about this kind of problem it took a long time for her to seek help. Finally, however, she was persuaded to consult her family doctor.
After she filled out all the proper forms and had waited about 20 minutes in the waiting room the doctor called her into his office, leaned back in his chair, folded his hands into a steeple and asked her how he could help.
"Doctor," she said, "I have a very bad gas problem. Yesterday afternoon I had lunch with the Secretary of State and his wife and had six, um, er, ahhh ... silent gas emissions. Last night I had dinner with the governor and his wife and had four silent gas emissions. Then, while sitting in your waiting room I had five silent gas emissions! Doctor, you've got to help me! What can we do?"
"Well," said the doctor raising his voice a little, "I think the first thing we're going to do is give you a hearing test."
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