Laughter Deficient

Remember when we were kids and it was ALL about the fun? Get back to that!

Fun, laughter, and activity cause our brains to change, to work better, to stay focused. You can eat all the good clean organic food you want (and you should). You can do all the exercise you want (and you should). But if you are not having fun doing those things, if they are a chore that causes you stress, then the entire purpose is defeated.

Being in lifelong pursuit of health and wellness means taking a look at how we approach that pursuit. What the research shows — what is most important — is our brain. The brain is the mothership integrating all bodily processes. What is fantastic about the brain is that it is able to change and learn throughout our lives. The technical term is neuroplasticity.

Ok, enough with the big words, brass tacks here: You are in control! Your thoughts have a profound influence on your outcomes. The more you fuel your brain with positive activity, food, emotions, etc., the better your digestion, immune system, hormone balance, sleep, muscle response and more will be. Most importantly, your brain ages at a slower rate when you feed it positivity and movement. All stress and no play is the fast lane to the things we fear most: dementia, Alzheimer’s, etc.

Beyond the obvious things like clean food, exercise, and rest, what kicks off all of the mechanism of good brain and body health is laughter. Not a little chuckle, but a throw your head back and almost pee your pants kind of laugh. The neurotransmitters, or “happy chemicals” that are produced when we do this are abundant! These chemicals are more protective and nurturing than any outside source (coffee, sugar, drugs, tv, etc.) we can find.

So, go on — get out there and show up for your life. Whatever you are doing, do it with joy, share it with love and laughter. Life is serious, but when we face it with that kid in us that lived for the next fun moment, we find it a little less serious, and much more enjoyable. My clients that come in with the fewest health issues, fewest prescription medications and keenest brain power, are the ones that are involved in community, take time to really enjoy things, are constantly learning something new, watch very little television, still find awe in things. Oh, and they laugh — a lot.

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter” e.e. cummings