How To Find laughter - By: Irene Sherwood

Studies show that very young (pre-school) children laugh up to 400 times a day, but by the time we reach adulthood, we laugh an average of 17 times per day.

How can we find laughter?

Studies have shown that laughter helps the body stay healthy but how can we learn to laugh? Being with other people will usually help keep a person happier than if they are isolated and studies have proven that laughter can be contagious so the more you are with others the more likelihood that you will be laughing. Some or all of the following can be effective.
Watch comedy shows on television. Not every comedy show will make you laugh but there are a lot of comedy shows to choose from and there are a lot of funny sitcoms that are on at least once a week. There are also shows that show funny video clips of real life happenings that are very amusing. Finally there are cartoon shows. Cartoons are not always intended for children but are for adult audiences.

Choose a comedy when having a night at the movies, whether it is at home or at the theatre. Go with a friend to the movies. The contagious effects of laughter may make you laugh more then if you go alone. Later on you can talk about the movie and laugh even more. Those who are not in the habit of laughing might not be spending enough time talking to others or being in groups. According to research, we are about 30 times more unlikely to laugh out loud when alone, even when viewing a funny TV show or movie. If you socialize with people who are upbeat and have a good sense of humor, you can increase your laugh quotient.

Try to find humor in your life instead of complaining. Try to laugh when little things go wrong. Tell your family or friends what happened in a funny manner and listen to them laugh as well. Even if you have to fake laughter it will make a positive difference to you and after time it should become easier to laugh. Laughing with your spouse can actually improve communication between the two of you.

Sometimes things seem very bleak but that is the time you need laughter the most. Think how ridiculous the situation you are in is by blowing it totally out of proportion and when it becomes absurd you should begin to smile.
Buy a laughter tape and listen to it when things seem depressive. 60 minutes of constant laughter may seem a bit much but most people find themselves laughing before the tape has ended.
Read the comics in the daily newspaper or buy comic books to read. No one is ever too old to read jokes or look at cartoons.
Buy a book of jokes or surf the internet to find the joke sites or humorous photos. There are lots of free or low cost joke site online.

Laughter is contagious. When you are in a crowd and one person starts to laugh then others will join in even though they don’t know the reason for the laughter. Robert Provine wrote in the American Scientist Online – “Consider the bizarre events of the 1962 outbreak of contagious laughter in Tanganyika. What began as an isolated fit of laughter (and sometimes crying) in a group of 12- to 18-year-old schoolgirls rapidly rose to epidemic proportions. Contagious laughter propagated from one individual to the next, eventually infecting adjacent communities. The epidemic was so severe that it required the closing of schools. It lasted for six months.”

About the Author

Irene Sherwood is a minister and freelance author. She has written articles covering a wide variety of subjects. Visit her website http://www.christian-community-chapel.com

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Irene--Sherwood/47063

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