The average 4-year-old kid laughs 300 times per day. The average 40-year-old? Only, 4, according to this statistic.
Perhaps the 300 number sounds a bit high, but think about any little kid you know. I bet you'll realize that they laugh all the time! They find anything hilarious, especially things, we, adults, would never laugh at.
Of course, it could only be an urban legend that 4-6-year-olds laugh 300 times per day, as other blogs on the topic have cited fifteen to twenty as the average number of everyday laughs for adults. Still, it doesn't matter; the point is that kids laugh way more than adults do.
So what does that tell us?
Laughter Rejuvenates Us
Norman Cousins reportedly described the effects of his self-prescribed "laughing cure" in the book Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient. Cousins, who used to suffer from inflammatory arthritis, claimed that ten minutes of hearty laughing while watching Marx Brothers movies gave him two hours of pain-free sleep and that inflammation and pain were significantly relieved.
Research since then has proven that laughter lowers levels of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine, and dopamine; raises health-enhancing hormones (endorphins, for instance), neurotransmitters, as well as infection-fighting antibodies; and also improves blood flow to the heart. All these result in greater relaxation and resistance to disease and also improved mood and positive outlook.
Laughter Changes Our Perspective
When we lighten up, we tend to feel more positive and optimistic, more hopeful and engaged. We are sociable, more resourceful, more attractive, and more radiantly alive.
Laughter connects people
Think about it: If other people around you are laughing, you're also absorbing their upbeat vibes. Of course, since laughing is contagious, somebody else's laughter will trigger yours, which will you extra laugh points toward your quota.
If this article inspired you, why not try to improve your day by laughing a few extra times? Perhaps a couple of really happy long laughs will also get people around you to start laughing, too. If you try it around a child, the results will be great - and hilarious!
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