Laughter Is Good Medicine

Norman Cousins, the man who laughed himself well in 1964, shows that by simply changing your mindset and attitude or emotion towards an illness even the nastiest aliments can be reversed (“Anatomy of an Illness”).
"Our bodies’ healing system responds to positive thoughts, moods, and emotions, and negatively to depression, anxiety, pessimism, loneliness and hopelessness. A well-developed sense of humor can be an excellent coping mechanism. Laughter contributes to physical health by relaxing tense muscles, reducing the production of stress hormones, lowering blood pressure and enhancing the immune system. It improves emotional health since laughter is a protective factor against anxiety and depression. It can improve social health by creating a bond between people of diverse backgrounds. There are no known negative side effects to laughter."
We need to cultivate our sense of fun. Children laugh 300 times a day. That number falls to 15 with adults. Laughter is literally the sound of play. Do at least one fun thing every day. Remember the “key” that distinguishes situations in which being playful is appropriate from those in which it’s not; real humor is based on love – not on an agenda such as putting someone down.
Look for humor. List stressful situations, and then look to see if you can find something funny in them. Can you think of challenging situations that you have been through that now, upon reflection, make you smile? A wise person once said when you are in the midst of a difficult situation and if there is the slightest chance you might look back on it some day and laugh about it, start laughing now.
From the Samaritan Counseling Center of the Fox Valley