“By the time a child reaches nursery school, he or she will laugh 300 times a day.  Adults laugh an average of 17 times a day.” (Discovery Health).

Do you laugh every day or have you discovered that as an adult you have neglected such activities because you are supposed to be producing, achieving, and focused on your goals?  Today Americans are finding that they are laughter deprived… are you one of the victims?

What are the benefits of laughter?

• Reduces stress (laughter stimulates both sides of our brain and eases muscle tension)
• Lowers our blood pressure
• Elevates our mood (and gives our body a good workout)
• Boosts our immune system (releases antibodies)
• Improves our brain functioning
• Helps us lose weight (laughter actually burns calories)
• Helps us connect with others
• Fosters relaxation

Why do we need humor & laughter?

• Laughter replaces negative emotions with pleasurable feelings
• Laughter changes our focus and our behavior. When we use humor in a conversation we tend to talk more, make more eye contact, and we touch more.
• Laughter increases our energy level and makes us feel vital.
• Laughter makes us feel good and heals our emotional pain.
• Laughter helps us move from a place of negativity into a place of gratitude and a way to see the positive in our life.
• Laughter and humor are some safe ways to introduce ourselves to others (connection)

How can you expand your sense of humor?

• Look for everyday humor. Look for absurd, silly or funny things that happen around you and rejoice in their humor.
• Watch children. Observe how they delight in the little things around them in everyday life.
• Increase your exposure to humor. Watch comedies, read joke books, listen to funny stories of others, read the “joke a day” online.
• Hang around with funny friends. Funny people are everywhere, you just have to look around and you will find humorous people surrounding you.
• If you hear a joke you like write it down. Make sure you tell someone else the joke you learned and brighten their day.