How to Look on the Bright Side of Anything

Four Ways to Inject More Laughter into Your Life

Being sad, morose, melancholy, or moody won’t help you meet goals or experience personal grown. However, laughter can. Besides being downright fun, laughter has health benefits. That’s not just my opinion; it’s the wisdom of the Bible! “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones,” according to Proverbs 17:22.

Medical science confirms the benefit of a daily dose of humor. Laughter activates the body chemistry that generates the will to live, and it increases our capacity to fight disease. Laughing relaxes the body and reduces problems associated with high blood pressure, strokes, arthritis and ulcers.

Some research suggests laughter may also reduce the risk of heart disease! Historically, research has shown that distressing emotions such as depression, anger, anxiety, and stress are related to heart disease. One medical study suggests that a good sense of humor and the ability to laugh at stressful situations help mitigate the physical effects of these negative emotions.

Need a little more laughter in your life? Here are some ways to inject a little laughter into your daily routine.

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Be willing to laugh at your own foibles and mistakes. It will make you less self-conscious and more approachable, and you’ll feel better!

Share a good, clean joke. Admittedly, with all the politically correct stuff, safe-for-work humor is getting hard to come by, but you can find it if you look. Share a funny story with your friends or family, and get them laughing too.

Use humor to communicate. Nearly any presentation from a sermon to a sales pitch can be livened up with a bit of humor. If you’re not a natural funny bones, no worries. Even if you tell the joke wrong, people will find good-natured humor in the attempt!

Find joy in everything. There’s a time and place to be somber, but even when you’re in a tense situation you can usually find something to laugh about. Relieve stress and tension with a “Well, it could be worse” or a “Look on the bright side” quip.

Remember, humor is supposed to lighten the load. Never resort to putdowns or sarcasm to get a laugh. Your punch lines should heal, never harm.

According to some experts, by the time a child reaches preschool, he or she will laugh about five hundred times a day. Adults laugh about 15 times a day. Why not be better than average. Laugh more; you’ll live longer!

Do you have a good, clean joke or story to share? I’d love to hear your answer on Facebook or Twitter.