Put a smile on your face. Laugh out Loud.

I have found that when I am feeling down a good hearty laugh out loud makes me feel better. I might feel better for that moment or it may last and help me to get over the situation all together. The thing about me is that I don't laugh out loud often enough. I laugh on the inside, holding things in. I'm told that you can really know when I think something is funny because I do in fact let out a good hearty laugh.

As I was thinking about laughing, I remembered that my church history professor at the beginning of the semester said something about the importance of laughter. She talked about how it was contagious and how good laughter is for your health. Out of nowhere she started to laugh. She had a glow on her face. She was right, it was contagious. The classroom started to fill with laughter as the various students sat there and laughed.

My professor was right. Laughter is good for our health. "The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. Humor and laughter can cause a domino effect of joy and amusement, as well as set off a number of positive physical effects. Humor and laughter strengthen our immune systems and help us recover from illness, as well as bring joy into our lives."
Helpguide.org provides much information on the benefits of laughter. Not only does laughter help our emotional health, it can also have numerous benefits on our physical health from lowering blood pressure to preventing heart disease.

I realized today that lately I have been surrounded by negative people. When I'm surrounded by negative people I become negative. Instead of having a positive outlook on life I am finding myself being negative about most things. Today I was called by a negative person. I listened to her and then when were finished I got off the phone and started to laugh. I realized that everything she was complaining about was out of my hands and I could do absolutely nothing about it. As I was laughing she called back. She called to complain again and get my advise. I told her that it was her issue and she needed to figure out how to handle it. When we hung up again, I smiled. Look what laughter can do. For a moment, I feel better (and healthier).

So tell a joke, watch a comedian, or just laugh for no other reason than to laugh. It will make you feel better.