By Darcy Monette, Lifestyle & Wellness Coach
My high school senior quote was “You don’t stop laughing because you grow old…you grow old because you stop laughing.” Today, I found out both may be true! On my way into work, I heard on the radio that children laugh an average of 400 times per day. And adults? We only laugh an average of 15 times per day! I think we need to change this. We need MORE laughs in our day! Laughing lowers stress, releases endorphins in the body, and can reduce risk of heart attacks and strokes. Laughter also promotes health by fostering a more optimistic atmosphere. It can reduce pain and aid in the healing process. Most importantly…it just feels good to laugh!
FIND YOUR FUNNY!
Help is on the way! Below are a few ideas to get you laughing more.
*Get a pet, especially a dog…those goofballs can’t help but get you laughing more!
*Spend time with children. They laugh at anything, and laughter is infectious!
*Laugh at yourself! Stop taking yourself so seriously! Seriously. Stop that!
*Befriend a funny person. Hang out with them as often as you can!
*Follow funny people on social media.
*Look up comedy acts on YouTube, find some favorites, and watch them!
*Look up funny videos on ANYTHING on YouTube! (Just make sure you have lots of time as you will be laughing so hard that you may lose track of time!)
*Remove negativity in your environment where you can. Limit time spent watching the news, and block negative people in your newsfeed.
*Do something really silly. Take time daily to channel your ‘inner kid’ and skip, do a cartwheel, talk in a funny accent (everywhere you go for an hour), roll downhill…honestly, the ideas are endless.
*Find a favorite movie or tv show that just makes you laugh. I love dumb comedies. Think Will Ferrell, Steve Martin, Ben Stiller.
*Watch clips and bloopers from SNL, Carol Burnett Show, Parks and Rec..the list goes on. Click here to watch a classic Carol Burnett skit
*Be intentional and GET MORE LAUGHS IN DAILY!