Laughter Really Is the Best Medicine

laughter [laf-ter,lahf-]noun1. the action or sound of laughing 2.an inner quality, mood, disposition, etc.,suggestive of laughter; mirthfulness 3.an expression or appearance of merriment or amusement 4.Archaic. an object of laughter; subject or matter for amusement

I love to laugh. I usually find something to laugh about everyday. When I see people laughing, I have a desire to join in, even when I have no idea what they are laughing about. It's only after we are all laughed out that I'll ask why it was we were laughing. It feels so good to laugh so why are we so often told to stifle it? I understand that not all places or times are appropriate. And I understand that we should never laugh at the expense of someone else. But some good, healthy laughter? What's the harm really? I remember when I was young, laughing during services or school when we were supposed to be quiet. It was so hard not to laugh. It was so, so hard to be solemn and still. I also remember as my children were growing up, they would giggle at the most inappropriate times. I would try to be stern but usually I would end up giggling along with them. Many arguments have been diffused by a little mirth!

Laughter triggers healthy physical changes in the body. It can lessen your pain, boost your immunity system and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. It can lower your blood pressure and raise your energy level. You can get the same benefits from laughing 100 times a day as you can from 10 minutes of rowing. Just 15 minutes of laughter a day can burn up to 40 calories! That is conceivably one to four pounds a year. That may not sound like a lot but it really is. Imagine yourself 15 to 20 pounds thinner. Nice, huh? And you didn't have to join a gym or even change your clothes to do it. In fact, you had fun. 15 minutes of laughter is equal to the benefits of 2 hours sleep.Laughing for 15 seconds adds 2 days to your life span. So laugh away. It's contagious and you'll live longer!

The family that plays together stays together. I have several friends and acquaintances who complain that their teen age children don't like to be home. My kids and I enjoy spending time with each other. They ask me what is different in my home than in theirs. I'm not really sure. I don't think I am a better parent then they are. In fact, they have many skills that I would like to emulate. I do think that we laugh a lot in our home. Not malicious laughter, at someone else's expense but real, genuine laughter. the comfortable kind that comes with knowing the people you are with and knowing what makes them smile. We spend our time around the dinner table telling funny anecdotes and stories about our day. I often find myself filing away a particularly amusing story to share with them when I get home.

1.We are 30 more times likely to laugh in a social situation than when alone

2. T.he speaker tends to laugh more than the audience

3.In groups, women laugh more than men. Women also laugh more at men than men do at women.

4.Most people can't laugh on command. We cannot produce it consciously.

5.Laughter usually doesn't interrupt a sentence structure of speech. We really only laugh during pauses.

for some good belly laughs, I've included a few of my favorite hubbers!

epiggramman Miss-bee-have

billybuc Weird Guinness World Records Part 2

madhatter99 Dump that Man!!!

rutley Mortifying Part Two...Tooting at the annual OBGYN exam

Laughter helps you bond with other people. When we laugh, we usually talk more, make more eye contact and do more things that help us connect with others.Laughter also lessens tension. It's hard to feel angry, tense or anxious when you are laughing. It encourages concentration on "right" attitudes rather than "wrong" attitudes. Laughter can cause positive changes in brain chemistry by releasing endorphins and it brings more oxygen into the body with the deeper inhalations. So laugh.... enjoy....make new friends! You'll live longer and enjoy doing it!

So laugh. Laugh out loud. Laugh out strong. Laugh with your friends, your family, the guy in line behind you at the grocery store. Laugh with your coworkers, your customers, your pets. The benefits are worth it and the happiness you share will be all that matters.