Why So Serious?

Did you know that laughing burns calories?  Yup - about 10 to 40 calories per 15 minutes, depending on a person's weight and intensity of the laughter.  Plus, laughter can make you live longer too, especially because it reduces stress, and we've all heard the horrors of stress (if you haven't, Google it and start laughing immediately). 

I sometimes get annoyed because my kids laugh all the time - at home, when we're running errands, at the dinner table (restaurant & home, but most annoyingly when we're at restaurants), in the car, when I'm talking to them, in the tub/shower, in their room (usually at bedtime because they share a room and like to goof off), basically all the time & anywhere.

Studies show that adults typically laugh 25 times a day vs. kids laughing 400 times a day.  Wow!  That's alot of laughing (and alot of calories burned & less stress...).

So - why am I so serious??? The answer to that is..."I'm working on it."

My year of stress was definatly 2010 but I have since left the stress behind.  That's not to say I don't worry and am totally carefree, but I'm reminding myself to enjoy life more, to laugh with the kids, at myself, at situations.

But seriously, we do have to be serious sometimes.  I often break into my "there's a time and a place for laughter" speech with the kids.  However, I have to admit that at one of the lowest points in my life - when my father died suddenly several years ago - I went home for his funeral and expected it to be the saddest week of my life.  Quite the opposite actually.  My younger brother, whom I hadn't seen in several years, and I laughted so much that week - many of the times we were laughing over stories of our father, but mostly it was just the two of us laughing at one another.  Oh, I cried plenty too - but I remember laughing alot that week and it really helped me cope with my father's passing.

So stop being so serious.  Smiles and laughter are contagious so find something to laugh about and get someone laughing along with you.  You'll burn calories, beat stress, and most importantly, have fun.

Elena