The Joy Of Laughter

There is nothing more relaxing and refreshing than a good belly laugh. Laughter reduces stress, relaxes muscles, helps refresh the air in our lungs, lowers blood pressure, and releases nature's painkillers (endorphins). It has also been found that laughter sparks our creativity and rejuvenates our mind and soul.

Laughter is sometimes called our "internal jogging" because it helps strengthen our hearts. For people who are not able to get regular cardiac activity, laughing is wonderful exercise. It aids in circulation and delivers oxygen and other nutrients to the rest of the body. And, believe it or not, women receive more benefit from laughing than do men. I think that is one of the reasons women always seem to fall in love with men who can make them laugh.

Laughing is wonderful, but did you know it also helps your immune system? Yes it does. It increases the natural killer cells that attack viruses and even tumors. Laughing also wards off colds because it increases immunoglobulin in saliva, and has a cleansing effect.

Laughter is the universal language, and a great ice-breaker. Often groups of people will not share the same ideas, and that can create tension, especially over the long term. Most of us find ourselves in that situation from time to time. I work closely with a co-worker who never laughs. It is all business, all the time. There is no sense of humor, or sense of the ridiculous in this person, and unfortunately as a result, my co-worker suffers from high blood pressure. I am just the opposite, and I love to laugh. However, there are times when I feel as if I'm doing something subversive when I laugh. But never fear -- that doesn't stop me. We have a new young doctor who has the most wonderful, infectious giggle. Hearing him laugh makes me giggle too. His laugh is ... just what the doctor ordered.

No one has ever discovered the negative side effects to laughing -- it's free, and it's good for you. Find every opportunity you can, and laugh.