Laughter is Medicine

You know the saying: laughter is the best medicine. Laughter isn't a cure all, but more research is proving that it has many health benefits. I recommend you find several sources of laughter and get your daily dose of this medicine.

By the way - that's my daughter just below standing in the front yard butt naked. She's standing with her hands on her hips in a somewhat defiant posture. And what's with that sour-puss face? I mean...did the dog eat her popsicle? It still makes me laugh just thinking about that day.

I absolutely love kids & they can be a barrel of laughs - but at this point, I'm OK that my child has adulted so I have to get my laughing medicine from other people's kids which is actually working out just fine - I don't have to do any parenting.

Laughter for Mental Health

Stress/Anxiety Relief

When you laugh your stress hormone (cortisol) is reduced thereby providing stress/anxiety relief.

Mind Relaxation

After a good laugh, you feel happy, content, and relaxed. Check out: Relax Your Mind or Go Cuckoo Crazy.

Improves Mood

Laughter can really lift your mood & improve your outlook. When you laugh, your brain releases endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin which are the body's happy, feel good hormones. Dopamine gives you feelings of pleasure & satisfaction, endorphins reduce pain & anxiety, and serotonin is an anti-depressant. These are natural stress fighting hormones.

Emotional Strength

Laughing at a difficult situation helps us cope with it better, giving us emotional strength. When problems & stress creeps in, just laugh at it so you minimize the problem/stress, and it can't control you.

Brain Function

When you burst into laughter, you intake more oxygen which improves brain function & focus. Your thought processes & memory also improve.

Social Connections

Laughter is a great ice-breaker and it helps deepen the friendship bond & social connection with others.

Loneliness

Laughing even when you feel lonely can help lessen the impact of feeling alone or isolated. Some people can feel alone even if they live or work with others. It's important you work on socializing and finding at least 2 good friends.

Increased Oxygen

To get more oxygen into your body requires a good hearty laugh, not just the quick, one chuckle laugh. More oxygen will help revive several organs in your body: heart, lungs, and muscles. In addition, more oxygen in your system helps you relax.

Heart Health

Laughter lowers your heart rate which increase when dealing with stress. When heart rate is lowered, you feel relaxed. With the increase of oxygen, you increase blood flow in & out of the heart thereby improving heart health. It also lowers your risk of stroke or heart disease. See my blog: Combat Stress, Avoid Heart Disease.

Immune System

Stress & negative feelings produce chemical reactions that lower your immune system. The reverse is also true - happy, positive thoughts increase your immune system by combating stress. Laughing produces antibodies which kicks our immunity into gear lowering our risk for illness & disease.

Muscle Relaxation

Laughter improves circulation & blood flow which relieves muscle tension & pain.

Blood Pressure

You can experience a decrease in blood pressure for a short time after laughing out loud. Higher blood pressure has several health risks.

Pain Relief

With the production of happy hormones just by laughing, specifically endorphins, you can experience some pain relief.

3. Kids say the funniest things, like something hilarious during a large family Thanksgiving dinner. And the statement is always made with a total poker face. Meanwhile, everyone bursts out into a laugh-fest.

   Some of the younger kids will snort milk out their nose & some mom's will laugh until they cry. The grandmothers however, might just admit out loud.....that they peed their pants a little. And then round two of the laugh-off starts.

4. Luckily I didn't have boys - because, oh Lord I probably would've needed sedatives!!! My girlfriend's 3 boys could make noises using various parts of their bodies - noises that should only come from the bathroom.

   And of course, they'd do it in public while laughing hysterically. Their mom feeling totally embarrassed, wanted to bolt leaving me looking like the guilty person.

Kids Are a Barrel of Laughs

1. Kids are a barrel of laughs and they'll surprise you with off the wall comments. Their little body's can hide so easily just behind the counter and overhear grown-up talk like mommy & daddy talking about date night & the anticipated activities to be shared after.

   Your children might not understand what they heard, but they're all too eager to repeat it....usually in a public place.

2. Kids are brutally honest about your most embarrassing moments, and they're way too happy to announce it as you're walking into church or in the grocery store check out line. And rest assured, it won't be a whisper....they'll use their outside voice to bring it to your attention. In this case, the barrel of laughs is enjoyed by others near by.

Parenting 101 - Laughing at Your Kids

I wanna know where the parents bought their "Parenting 101" book - photo right. Or maybe dad found it in the book, "100 Uses For Duct Tape"? If they thought of it on their own - Dude, you're brilliant. Truly...a barrel of laughs.

Children are adorable little jokesters, and they can fill your home with laughter - and that's best kind of medicine. That is.... until, they drop YOUR toothbrush in the toilet. But we still love 'em.... right?

FYI: The father (I'm guessing) that taped his child to the wall I'm sure did it purely as a joke and did NOT endanger his child. Doesn't it make you laugh out loud?

Bottom Line: Laughter is the Best Medicine

• Always remember the good moments with your children - despite the not so ones. Turn their messy into a moment of bonding & giggles.

• Encourage their imagination & expose them to multiple forms of playtime activities. Join them in their fun time to boost your own happy.

• Let their laughter encourage you. Laugh with them and (secretly) AT them.

• Kids can keep you physically active, mentally challenged, and emotionally on a roller coaster - but there's always lots of laughable moments in between.

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