Very few people actually realize the positive effects of laughter. In fact, it has been said that little children can laugh up to 400 times per day. Adults are lucky to average seven times per day.
I guess between childhood and adulthood, life happens! If, however, while you are living this life that happens, make smiles and laughter a part of your every day.
There are medicinal benefits to this thing we call laughter. It is the reason there are clowns in children’s wards of hospitals and laughing therapy is offered as part of a holistic approach with Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Laughter has been called a form of internal jogging since it gets the blood circulating, the lungs moving, and lowers blood pressure and stress hormone levels. It also produces endorphins, feel-good chemicals, that strengthen the immune system and enable us to be less susceptible to disease and illness. Is it any wonder that many of our major comedians live to over the age of 80? Just look at Betty White (94), Dick Van Dyke (90), and Carol Burnett (83).
On the other hand, high stress is the number one cause of aging. If you don’t believe this to be true, then you haven’t looked at the Presidents of the United States when they leave office. Whether Republican or Democrat, rather than looking four to eight years older, Presidents appear about 20 years older after completing their arduous assignment. In one study of 11,000 heart attack sufferers from 52 countries, it was discovered that the year before their heart attacks, patients had been under significantly increased stress and strain from family, finances, and depression when compared to 13,000 healthy subjects in the control group.
What many people also don’t realize is that the brain doesn’t know the difference between real laughter and fake laughter. This is the reason there are over 1,800 laughing clubs in India. So if you are not tickled, just fake it! In the classes I teach, I show a Smile on a Stick. Go to the website www.humorproject.com and get one. They come in a variety of races. And when you don’t feel like smiling, you can put up a fake one!
On my website, www.drmarciatate.com, you can sign up to receive a special gift which will enable you to make positive thinking a part of your everyday life! Don’t worry, be happy!