In the movie “Monsters Inc” by Pixar, it was demonstrated that laughter was a stronger emotion than fear.  Texting language has shortened the term laughing to three letters, LOL (laugh out loud).  In both of the above examples laughing is shown to be a desirable trait.  We all enjoy being around someone who is good humored.  However, can laughter do more than help us be social?  Can it also give us a more healthy lifestyle?

Cheryl Ann Oberg, a certified laughter leader, states that “Laughter is one of those tools that push away fear.  When you are laughing, the negative emotions go away.  Laughter is a built in medicine cabinet.”  She uses laughing as a therapy for the patients at the hospital she works at.

There is an exercise regiment known as laughter yoga and there are multiple places where a person can go to perform laughter yoga with other participants.  Laughter helps to stimulate the heart and blood circulation.  It also improves the lung capacity, exercises the abdominal muscles and can be done anywhere.  The neat thing is that you do not need to purchase any expensive exercise equipment to perform laughter yoga.

There are many different reasons to laugh out loud.  One of the healthy reasons is that it will reduce your stress.  Nothing works faster to bring your mind and your body back into balance than laughter.  It will also help you sleep better and is a natural anti-aging tool.  Laughter releases the body’s feel good natural nutrient known as endorphins.  Endorphins help to promote an all encompassing sense of well-being.

Laughing does more for you than just make you feel good and relieve your sadness.  It also can give you strength and courage to go on even in the most difficult of situations.  Laughing is also contagious.  My two year old granddaughter can start a room laughing by simply starting to laugh.  She is so cute and everyone enjoys laughing with her.

As shown with the example of my granddaughter, laughter can help develop and sustain a relationship.  It can help to keep the relationship fresh and exciting.  Sharing laughter will add joy, vitality and resilience.  If your relationship is strained, see if you can get your partner to laugh.  This cannot be forced but needs to come naturally but it will certainly relieve the strain.

Watch for ways to bring laughter into your life.  Watch more comedies.  Practice laughing.  It will not only make you feel better but will also improve your ability to laugh.  You can smile those problems away and develop a more healthy lifestyle by doing so.