"If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane" -- Jimmy Buffett
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Alive & Well Archives

May 2004

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TODAY'S QUOTE:  "What was significant about the laughter . . . was not just the fact that it provides internal exercise for a person . . .a form of jogging for the innards, but that it creates a mood in which the other positive emotions can be put to work, too." 

                     -- Norman Cousins

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TODAY'S TOPIC:  Have Fun & Laugh

When was the last time you had a lot of fun?

Last week I saw Jimmy Buffett, my all-time favorite performer, in concert.  I love his music; it makes me smile, and I can almost imagine that I’m on a tropical island somewhere.  At the concert, I danced, relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed the festive atmosphere.  While there, I was reminded (again) of the importance of having fun.  I was grinning from ear to ear, and it felt great!!!

Fun is a very important component in having an outstanding quality of life.   I’ve coached many people who were professionally successful, healthy and overall appeared to have a great life.  But often, they were missing the fun.  Who wants a lot of money without fun?  No one I know. 

Of course, tied in with fun is laughter.  When is the last time you really laughed?  Like fun, laughter is a must if you want an outstanding life.  Obviously, laughter helps with your mental health.  Medical studies have shown that it also helps with your physical health.  Laughter increases levels of endorphins, which are the body's natural painkillers, and it suppresses epinephrine, the stress hormone.   In addition to reducing stress and increasing your tolerance to pain, laughter also:

  • Lowers blood pressure – There is an increase in vascular blood flow, and an increase in oxygenation of the blood assists with healing.
  • Boosts your immune system -- When we laugh, we increase the number of cells that produce antibodies. T cells and natural killer cells, which attack viruses, also increase.
  • Enhances brain functioning  - Laughter stimulates many sides of the brain.  It also reduces stress, which keeps the brain alert and allows you to retain more information.
  • Helps your heart – According to a University of Maryland Medical Center study, people with heart disease were 40% less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to the people of the same age without heart disease.
  • Gives you a workout – when you laugh, you use your diaphragm, abdominal, facial, leg and back muscles. 

Laughter and fun also allow you to connect with more people, thereby increasing the amount of love and connection you receive.  Think about it, would you rather spend your time with people who laugh and have fun or with people who are somber and stressed? 

So here are some ideas on having fun and laughing:

** Go to a theme park or water park.  I went to Disneyland last month and had a tremendous amount of fun.  As I rode the roller coasters, I kept laughing. There was no stress in my body.

** Rent a comedy or see the latest comedy at the theaters.

** Go to a comedy club.

** Watch children as they laugh.

** Go to a concert.

** Go dancing (especially if it’s new to you, and you will have the opportunity to laugh at how silly you look).

** Play games. Charades in particular has brought me to tears with laughter.

** Look through an old scrapbook.  Many laughs often await you in old memories and poses.

** Watch an animal play.  I find so much humor in watching my dog run around the house with her toys.  My boyfriend’s dog loves to run up and down with a stick.  You can’t help but smile and enjoy him.  Or play with a cat and string.

** Find the humor in things you see or experience.

** Spend time with people who like to have fun and who make you laugh.

So how about it?  Will you commit to having more fun and laughing more? 

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Coaching Challenge

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Do something fun this weekend, and make fun a regular part of your life.