Growing Up and the Disappearance of Laughter

Do you remember when you were a youngin', always running around and having a good time? As a child, we laugh almost constantly. Children have the divine ability to find humor in almost any situation, if they try hard enough. Unfortunately, as we grow older we find it more difficult to laugh...at anything.

The next time you are out in public, with no real task at hand, just sit down and observed people. We all know how amusing people watching can be, but this time I challenge you to not just watch movements and listen to conversations, rather to pay attention to moods and expressions. I can almost guarantee that nine times out of ten, children will be happy and laughing (unless they were just scolded by their parents, in which case they will be upset...and back to laughing in about two minutes), and the majority (NOT ALL) of adults will just be...there, physically, not mentally.

If you remember even a little snapshot of your childhood (which I hope you do, but if not, get out a photo album) I'm sure that you recall being happy, energetic, playful, and above all, healthy. The biggest reason why children are able to find things humorous is because they are constantly discovering new things in the world around them. The fact that this is a never-ending process, along with how surprising this is to children, is what makes them laugh. Lucky for these children, laughter is very beneficial to health (so maybe we adults should take the hint).

Children learn very quickly that when they learn to make fun of themselves, that all weapons are down on the other end. When one is capable of laughing at themselves when they do something stupid, others do not have the "fire power" to bring you down. Laughter also possesses the power to give you a sense of well-being. Laughter reduces stress and anxiety, allowing one to lower their inhibitions and just let it all out. In addition, laughter also reduces pain.

There are several medical studies that show how laughter is capable of defying the odds. Laughter not only boosts the immune system, but it also boosts spirit and morale as well. If we did not like to laugh, we would not surround ourselves with loved ones who know how to make us laugh. And lucky for those of us who are not so fond of exercising, such as myself, there are a few studies that compare laughter with a small exercise routine, and the effects are very similar.

As you can see, there are several reasons why we all just need to laugh more. We can boost our health and our spirit all at the same time. So, the next time a friend of yours is feeling a little down, go a little extra out of your way to make them laugh; they would do the same for you (assuming they knew how it would benefit you, so maybe you should enlighten them on that as wellafter you make them laugh a little).