I love to laugh, ha ha ha

Name that movie, anyone? Well I am writing a paper for my nursing research class right now on the topic of my choice. I decided to write it on the current research regarding laughter. I've found some pretty amazing stuff so I decided to share it all. First all in order for humor/laughter to work, you have to laugh out loud (that's what the findings are saying). Being exposed to something humorous and not laughing has bad effects on your body. So let yourself go and laugh at things, don't hold back. Laughter boosts the immune system. Your immune system cells can stay elevated for 24 hours after exposure to laughter. People that laugh in groups have a more positive effects than people that laugh alone. Laughter also increases levels of Dopamine and Seratonin which are the hormones low in people with Depression. People that laugh out loud have a higher pain threshold, meaning they can tolerate more discomfort without it becoming pain. Laughter has a long term effect on cortisol levels. Cortisol is the stress hormone in our body. The laughter decreases levels of cortisol thus allowing us to cope with difficult situations. One study found that people with Atopic Dermatitis (a chronic allergic reaction of the skin) had less severe outbreaks following times of laughter and that the blood components that fight off the reactions were higher in these individuals. These are all the physiologic parts of laughter. You don't have to have a PhD to know that laughter is good for you. So go ahead, laugh your heads off.

Have you ever asked your child a question too many times? My three-year-old son had a lot of problems with potty training and I was on him constantly. One day we stopped at Taco Bell for a quick lunch, in between errands. It was very busy, with a full dining room. While enjoying my taco, I smelled something funny, so of course I checked my seven-month-old daughter, she was clean. Then I realized that Danny had not asked to go potty in a while. I asked him if he needed to go, and he said "No". I kept thinking "Oh Lord, that child has had an accident, and I don't have any clothes with me." Then I said, "Danny, are you SURE you didn't have an accident?"

"No," he replied. I just KNEW that he must have had an accident, because the smell was getting worse. Soooo, I asked one more time, "Danny did you have an accident? This time he jumped up, yanked down his pants, Bent over, spread his cheeks,

And yelled, "SEE MOM, IT'S JUST FARTS!!"

While 30 people nearly choked to death on their tacos laughing, he calmly pulled up his pants and sat down. An old couple made me feel better, thanking me for the best laugh they'd ever had!