Some days you just have to laugh. 
It’s better to laugh than to cry…for you and your health. Don’t let the pressures of everyday life keep you from enjoying the moments you have right now. Think about those crazy little moments with your kids that, at the time, can seem nerve racking, but looking back it are hilarious.
Go on; give them the chuckles and smiles they deserve! You know you want to!
When I thought of this post, I was looking back on one such moment we had over dinner. My husband was trying to get our daughter to eat her pizza, and she was acting like it was a huge chore. You would have thought we were forcing her to eat a plate full of spinach, by all the groans and disgusted looks. Trust me, most days of the week this kid loves pizza, but not today – she was in a mood.
“Emily, eat your dinner,” my husband scolded.
“NO! I don’t want to! It’s a bad pizza. I don’t want it!” she said pushing it away.
“Emily you need to eat your supper, or you don’t get dessert.” He was trying to reason with her. For most kids, the mere thought of losing dessert would be enough to snap them out of it, but Emily is, well, not most kids.
She looked up at him with a deadpan expression and firmly stated, “You’re not God.”
Needless to say, at that moment, we had to keep straight faces. Every parent knows you have to hold firm, because once that first smile creeps across your face, it would take a force of nature to set things back on course.
After the fact, however, we died laughing!
I realize that moments like these aren’t going to happen forever, and to have a sense of humor about everyday life is far better for my – and my family’s – health, so on this edition of “Wellness Wednesday,” I would like to take a moment to look at the benefits of laughter!
For starters, there are many physical health benefits to laughter.
Laughing boosts your immune system by increasing immune cells and infection fighting antibodies, as well as decreasing stress hormones, which can wreak havoc if you are stressed out constantly. It helps you relax when you’re tense for up to 45 minutes after your last laugh. Also, laughter decreases pain by triggering the release endorphins which leave you with an overall sense of well-being. And, it’s good for your heart…literally. It improves the functions of blood vessels and increases blood flow, both of which help to prevent heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.
Secondly, laughter helps improve your mental state as well.
It adds a bit of zest to the humdrum of everyday life. It helps to ease anxiety and fears, because with laughter, the things that may loom over us from day to day don’t seem so overwhelming when we can poke fun at them. Not only is that in itself a great stress reliever, but it teaches you to be more resilient to the suck factor. Like, for instance, when your kids pour a $7.00 bottle of face wash down your toilet. Yep, it happens. Plus, laughing about it helps to improve my mood and my perspective on the situation.
Finally, there are many social benefits to laughter.
Laughing strengthens relationships. I know that when my hubby and I laugh together – or at each other, from time to time – we feel closer. Plus, he appreciates that I get his sense of humor. Also, when you laugh with your spouse it strengthens the bond between you. It enhances teamwork skills and promotes group bonding between individuals, or defuses conflicts between them.
All I know is, when I’m laughing, I feel good, and with all these health benefits, I plan to do a lot more of it!
So, make some popcorn, curl up on the couch with your family, and watch a good comedy. You, and your body, will be glad you did.
Photo: flickr.com/photos/kidsire/2960492324
It was my pleasure to give you a good chuckle! ~Amy
You just made me laugh thank you I needed that today of all days.