Cambridge Church of Seventh-day Adventists, Medford MA

Smile and give your face a rest.  Raise you hands to the One you love the best.

Why You Should Laugh More?

Humor is one of the best stress-busters around. A good laugh relaxes muscles, lowers blood pressure, and may reduce levels of hormones that create stress and suppress immunity.

According to William F. Fry, a psychiatrist associated with Stanford University, laughter also stimulates the production of hormones called catecholamines, which are thought to cause the brain to release endorphins, the same stress-reducers triggered by exercise.

To defuse potentially stressful situations with humor, Joel Goodman, director of The Humor Project in Saratoga Springs, New York, recommends imagining how your favorite comedian would react to the same situation. "Try asking yourself, 'What would Lily Tomlin or Jerry Seinfeld say or do if they were in my shoes?'"

Smiling helps, too. Research shows that facial expression -- whether real or phony -- can change a person's mood. In one study, volunteers who thought they were testing theories of psychomotor coordination were instructed to clench a pen between their teeth in a way that created either a smile or a pout. Subjects felt happier when they were in unwitting smile mode than when they were unconsciously pouting.