By Sunny Simon
On a recent visit to Las Vegas I caught up with some of my childhood friends. Many years had passed since we were all together. The evening was devoted to reminiscing and reliving funny memories bringing on bouts of side-splitting belly laughs. Old Ben Franklin would have been proud of us. He advised, “Be the first to laugh at yourself,” and that we did. Jokes between old friends are effortless. As we shared loads of material incriminating ourselves and each other, we were so doubled over with laughter it looked like we were internally jogging.
I read somewhere a fit of laughter releases endorphins more potent than the equal amount of morphine. That would explain why some studies suggest that a bout of the giggles can relieve pain. Endorphins, which are brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters, are labeled as “the body’s natural pain killers.” Secretion of endorphins also leads to a feeling of euphoria which accounts for the natural high I experience while in the company of my friends.
Genuine laughter offers numerous benefits beginning with being a great stress reliever. Belly laughs are the best because they exercise the diaphragm and contract the abs. Laughing triggers physiological changes in our bodies. Our facial muscles stretch, our pulse elevates sending more oxygen to the tissues. According to a study done by researchers from Vanderbilt University, laughter even accelerates the body’s ability to burn calories.
Need more laughter in your life? Obviously a get-together with good friends is a foolproof way to induce a fun time, but if the ole gang is three states removed, try plugging in a funny movie or tuning into a silly sitcom or comedy show. Internet websites such as laughfactory.com provide a supply of funnies that you can commit to memory and share with others. Youtube.com is another excellent source. Doing a search for funny baby videos should get you giggling.
Phone up some friends and suggest a karaoke outing or pack up the kids and go bowling. Watch cartoons with your children or initiate a pillow fight with your spouse. If “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” a chuckle a day must also be beneficial. Introduce a new tradition to the family hour. Assign one family member the task of sharing a funny joke during dinner each evening.
Challenge yourself to laugh more. Discover the whimsy in life as you go about your day. And when you find something funny, don’t resort to a demure snigger, let out a gut-busting belly laugh to fire off those feel good endorphins.
Sunny Simon is the owner of Raise the Bar High Life and Career Coaching. More about Sunny at www.raisethebarhigh.com
