Laugh it up! Seriously, if something tickles your funny bone and you’re not in a very serious situation (job interview, funeral) just let loose. The evidence that laughter can improve your health is mounting, but maybe more importantly it just feels really good to have a great laugh. The kind where the tears fall from your eyes, and you can barely breath- the really good kind. Laughter has been a part of human communication for longer than our species has been speaking, and for good reason.

Laughter is a way of expressing the positive emotion of humor. Finding the humor in a situation can diffuse some of the pressure and negative emotions that can build up when things are not going according to plan. Finding the humor can often allow you and others to take a step back and reevaluate a situation and reprioritize what really needs to be done.

Laughing at a situation, or laughing “just because” can reduce stress hormones and increase circulation, both great things for your health; both mental and physical. And since we humans are a social species we do a lot of our laughter in the company of others; often feeding off each others’ good humor. Being around other like-minded peopled is another boon to your physical and emotional health so try to find the humor with a friend and laugh a little today.