I love laughing. There is nothing like a full belly laugh to release stress from every cell in the body. Nothing works faster than laughter to bring your mind and body back into balance. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. I tend to laugh more during stressful times, make more jokes, and roll with the punches ~ I take things less seriously. Some people might view me as insensitive but it really helps me get through those difficult moments so I am able to help and focus on others or the task at hand.

Lately, it seems like every time I turn around something is breaking, needs to be replaced or fixed. Just for starters, as we headed into fall the furnace needed to be replaced, the chimney sweep bent our venting pipe so it needed to be replaced, both cars needed a new set of tires, the kitchen faucet and oven broke the day before Thanksgiving, the dishwasher the day after Thanksgiving and the shower head exploded onto me as I was washing my hair. The next day, the pocket door for the bathroom came off its track and the car battery died. Fortunately, I’ve been blessed and able to remedy each situation rather easily along with a little laughter to share.

During these moments, I realized I smile and laugh a bit more than usually. Unconsciously, I am just trying to make the whole situation a bit more bearable, it’s how I’m wired, and I am so grateful for it.

• Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
• Laughter boosts the immune system while decreasing stress hormones, increasing immune cells, and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
• Laughter protects the heart by improving the function of blood vessels and increasing blood flow, which can protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Life can be stressful but there is always something to laugh about. Try it, your body and mind with thank you.

Have a laugh on me!