Fighting Frustration with Laughter

Everyone says laughter is the best medicine and I never knew how true that was until this week. Monday was a bad day. I have no idea why, but I was upset all day. I cried several times for no logical reason. I lashed out and got angry about trivial things. Most likely, I was overtired from a long (but good) weekend. I didn't get much sleep on Monday night so expected Tuesday to go just as badly, but it didn't. And that's because I laughed.

I laughed at a movie. I laughed during conversation with friends. I laughed with my students. And each moment of laughter erased the anxiety and the built-up frustration and the sadness. By the end of the day, I felt like I could breathe again.

Did you know???

-We laugh up to 30 times more when in the company of others. It really is a contagious act. The act of laughter actually makes us feel a bond with other people. The best way to make new friends is to laugh with them.

-Real laughter (different than fake sounds that sound like laughter) actually builds up your immune system helps your body fight off harmful diseases.

-Laughing helps wake you up. It's very similar to a boost of caffeine.

-In several surveys of appearance, people who laughed were almost always rated more attractive.

-What population laughs most? Girls under the age of 13.

(Facts found in Time Magazine and on helpguide.org)