7 ways in 7 days to be happy - Day 3

When was the last time you had a really good belly laugh? You know, the type of laugh that was so intense that other people looked at you like as if were insane. The type of laughter that was so intense that you almost fell the ground in the process. The type of laughter that was so intense that you were actually brought to tears. Thinking of this probably made you smile because it is not too often that we laugh this hard and such events are remembered as positively unique. Think back to how you felt after such laughter. At a bare minimum, you had to have felt pretty happy. Why? Because laughter actually increases the amount of endorphins released in the body, which is a type of chemical that makes us feel good. Laughter also decreases the amount of epinipherine in the body, which is a stress hormone.

Now, I realize we all can't have intense belly laughs every week, let alone every day. However, we can all add some increased laughter to our lives each week to make us feel happier. There are some people who go an entire week without laughing once. The best way to increase the laughter in your life is to do something that would actively promote laughter. This includes watching a sitcom, watching a funny movie, reading a funny book, listening to a funny radio show, spending time with a friend who makes you laugh, etc. It doesn't have to be every day, bust just once a week. For me, I try to listen to my favorite radio show once a week because it always makes me laugh, and every once in a while, this will actually elicit a hardy belly laugh. Go here for Day 4.