Note to Self: Laugh More! | The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans LLC

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I’ve spent the last two days with family I rarely get to see – most of them live in California, the other all the way across the state. This week, we convened at my grandmother’s house.

You guys…my stomach hurts. Not from indigestion. Not from nerves.

No. From laughing my face off.  If there is anything my family excels at, it’s laughing. At everything.

And it’s funny, because in my real life, I just don’t laugh as much anymore. So these last few days have kind of been an eye opener.

Why don’t I laugh out loud? I find lots of things funny, and I laugh inside. A little giggle. But what I really need? The gut busters! The laughs that shoot water out your nose. Having to hold my sides till I can breathe. THAT’S that I’m talking about.

I don’t know where I lost my laugh. Probably somewhere in adulthood.  Maybe when I had to really go out in the real world and find a job. Could have been after I’d had my heart broken by more than a few lame boyfriends. Or when life just smacked me in the face a few times too many and my laugh kind of went by the wayside.

Is it completely gone? NO! When I’m with my good girlfriends? Heck yes I laugh. I laugh with my kids – because kids really are the funniest. And once and a while, my husband and I will get to laughing so hard, we can barely speak. It’s rare, with the stresses of everyday life. but when it happens? The best.

So why do I (and you) need to laugh more? Well, it’s simple. Laughing makes you healthier. It’s true. A good, deep belly laugh releases endorphins. The very same endorphins that are released when you have a hard workout. Now, can you replace your run (or Zumba or yoga) with laughing? Well, probably not. But, you should definitely cross train with laughter!

Need more reasons to laugh? Laughter:

  • Reduce stress
  • Increase memory
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Oxygenate and improve blood flow
  • Boost Immune System
  • Improve Mental Health
  • Release Tension in the Body
  • Strengthen Social Bonds
  • Boost Energy

(bullet list courtesy of EatCleanHealth)

So now you have the reasons, but you’re probably like, um, Heather? There’s not that much funny stuff out in the real world.  And yes, sometimes the world is a sad place. The news is no fun to watch and there are a lot of Debbie Downers out there.

Seriously though. Funny stuff is everywhere. Here are some of my favorite go-to places to get my laugh on:

  • I ask my five year old to tell me a joke. He usually regales me with several. The jokes? Maybe not the funniest. But watching him peal with laughter over his own jokes? Hilarious.
  • Some girlfriends and I have a secret Pinboard on Pinterest where we pin stuff that we think is funny but may not be appropriate for everybody else who follows our pins. Its is completely awesome to open up that board once and a while and laugh at all the inappropriateness we’ve compiled.
  • We have a ton of DVD’s we’ve collected over the years and I have a list of movies that will ALWAYS make me laugh out loud. What About Bob. Napoleon Dynamite. Dumb & Dumber. These may not be your cup of tea, but I bet you have something you’ve watched that tickles your funnybone.
  • Go out with friends. Go to a comedy club. Do something you’ve never tried before that makes you a little vulnerable and awkward…always good for a laugh! I went to a painting class with a friend last week and we laughed almost the whole time. Granted, we also got to drink wine while painting…

I’m so grateful I got to spend time with family this week. I don’t see them enough and I love that whenever we get together we’re loud and raucous and laugh ourselves silly. It feels good.

Do you laugh enough? What makes you laugh? Sound off in the comments!

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