| An infant's smile or a child's laugh is magical. | | | | spoken word and bonded groups in pre-historic |
| Receiving a smile from an infant or child elicits an | | | | society. |
| automatic smile from any adult. Parents, | | | | "By the time a child reaches nursery school, he or |
| grandparents and adults alike will perform varying | | | | she will laugh about 300 times a day. Adults laugh |
| degrees of happy face antics in the hope of | | | | an average of 17 times a day." "Science of |
| getting a baby to smile. Medical studies have | | | | Laughter" Discovery Health |
| determined that laughing is both contagious and | | | | Clearly as adults we do not laugh enough. Here |
| healthy. | | | | are ten ideas to improve and increase laughter |
| I it's most demure mode, laughing will manifest | | | | [and fun] in your life: |
| itself visually as a smile maybe coupled with some | | | | 1) Receive, Share and Tell Jokes - email is |
| wide eye contact. At the other extreme end of | | | | awesome for this and so are social gatherings. |
| the laughing scale, you will realize Visual, | | | | Telling jokes (and learning what jokes are |
| Kinesthetic, and Auditory displays - leg slapping, | | | | appropriate) will prove to improve your social and |
| belly shaking, body contorting laughter! Just | | | | public speaking skills. |
| thinking about this 'Laugh Attack' brings a smile to | | | | 2) Share humorous personal stories - stories |
| your face. Remembering or thinking about | | | | about yourself will allow you to laugh at yourself. |
| laughter itself physically and mentally emotes all | | | | Laughing at yourself is a great way to express |
| the positive effects of actually laughing. | | | | and learn from our mistakes and little foibles. |
| The beautiful thing about laughter is that it is | | | | 3) With your family and friends play group games |
| contagious. It matters not whether you initiate | | | | that require group interaction (Parlour Games) - |
| laughing or it comes from some other source, the | | | | old standards and board games (like Charades, |
| health benefits of laughing have been studied and | | | | Pictionary, Balderdash, Cranium, Trivial Pursuit, |
| documented. | | | | Humzinger) or more organized themed events like |
| Laughter is the BEST MEDICINE! | | | | a Murder Mystery Night. Excellent for a varied |
| Yet, laughter is still one of the least understood of | | | | group of age and shyness. These are just FUN! |
| human behaviors and one that is just now a | | | | Play like children! |
| serious study by scientists. Science has been able | | | | 4) Laugh out loud - not just a chuckle, a deep |
| to determine three parts of the brain are | | | | laugh that works the lungs and belly (maybe even |
| activated during a good laugh: | | | | brings tears to your eyes). Laughing equals Happy |
| 1) a thinking or cognitive area for understanding | | | | and Happy equals Healthy! |
| the joke, | | | | 5) Karoke or new video games like Guitar Hero - |
| 2) a movement or kinesthetic part for initiating | | | | whether at home or at a public event, singing and |
| muscle movement, and | | | | music are excellent and fun group situations that |
| 3) an emotional region that derives the "giddy" | | | | will help create fun and laughter! |
| feeling. Why do people laugh at jokes delivered | | | | 6) Meet your group at a favorite pub or watering |
| while others laugh at incongruities like pain inflicted | | | | hole - conversation and stories will naturally make |
| or a threatening situations? Is laughter a signal | | | | you laugh. Have fun! |
| indicating a action is meant "in fun"? These things | | | | 7) Play Kids' Games - nothing allow you to play |
| are still being studied. | | | | like a child than playing with your children or |
| Laughter makes us (and others) feel better. | | | | grandchildren. And nothing is more liberating than |
| Studies have identified a number of areas, where | | | | laughing with children! |
| applying laughter, will be a positive and healthy | | | | 8) Learn with friends - experience learning a new |
| experience. Feel better by laughing: | | | | language or go to dance class with other people |
| 1) Health and laughing | | | | or couples. Laughing will open you up to a better |
| A) lifts up your mood | | | | learning experience. |
| B) is contagious and positive | | | | 9) Host a Party (maybe with a Fun Theme (item |
| C) is stress reducing | | | | 3) - a casual informal gathering (BYOB, BBQ, |
| D) has proven long term connections to improved | | | | Campfire or Dinner Party) will always give people |
| mental health | | | | an opportunity to meet and share. Invite fun |
| 2) Learning and laughter has shown that | | | | people and you will create a fun and memorable |
| A) levity as a teaching style reduces fear and | | | | event. |
| anxiety and opens students up to learning and | | | | 10) Do something you have never done before - |
| absorbing | | | | with other people or friends, step out and do |
| B) well-planned, appropriate, contextual humor can | | | | something new (community fair, site seeing, small |
| help students ingrain information | | | | airplane ride, hot air balloon, casino, a day at the |
| 3) Relationships and laughing | | | | track, snowmobiling, skiing). With a group you |
| A) help create a social lubricant that, in groups, | | | | have both the benefit of increased support and |
| encourages cooperation and altruistic behavior | | | | protection. Have fun! |
| B) is believed to be one of the earliest forms of | | | | Fun and Laughter is best in a social group setting. |
| communication; especially, emotional | | | | Do Not attempt Laughter alone. It is best served |
| communication. Laughter could have preceded the | | | | with friends. Get Crackin' and Get Laughin'! |