Laughter Is The Best Medicine
I love to laugh, but sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the thick of thin things...balancing life's stresses, relationships, expectations (both self imposed and otherwise), health, work, money, illness and many others can hinder one's joy....but...
Don't Let It Happen!
Laughter is one of the most powerful ways to ward off disease and illness known to man, not to mention it's downright fun to do. Most of us probably don't think about how often we laugh, but rest assured, our body is keeping count.
Children seem to understand that laughter is the best medicine, as they laugh, on average, up to 400 times a day. Adults average only 17 times per day.
Is it any wonder children seem to enjoy life more than their parents?
The benefits of laughter are far reaching. Laughter brings joy to your life and to those around you, makes your cheeks red and your face glow, making you more approachable and even more lovable, alleviates pain in the body and provides you with a sense of well-being by releasing endorphins and serotonin, which have been proven to help reduce pain and can even enhance treatments of many illnesses and diseases.
Laughing reduces the negative stress hormones such as cortisol (kryptonite to thyroid hormone) and epinephrine, allows us to connect with others more readily and to share a common bond with them and also helps supply your body with oxygen, helping you feel full of energy and life.
Your body treats laughter just like exercise, as it makes the blood vessels work more efficiently, increases blood flow to the heart, and helps to increase lung capacity.
A good belly laugh can boost your immune system's ability to ward off disease for up to 3 days. Imagine the benefit of laughing multiple times per day.
It seems easier for some to laugh than others, so if you don't find it easy to laugh, fake it till you make it. Like all habits, it may take time to cultivate. You may surprise yourself and you may find others more attracted to you!
Most importantly, try to laugh at yourself. Don't take yourself, or others too seriously. Life is too short! So laugh, who knows, maybe you'll even live longer for it!
Oh, and I have a new rule...if you ever write LOL, you actually have to do it! LAUGH OUT LOUD!
