How do you get a merry heart? Scientific studies have shown the value of meditating, planning a trip, spending time with family and friends, moving closer to work, going outside, practicing smiling, sleeping more, practising gratitude, helping others a couple of hours a week, exercising, and more. It's all good and it works, but the new science of laughter suggests that all your efforts will work even better and often much faster if you include lots of laughter in that mix.
Intentional laughter offers important benefits that the (rare) spontaneous laughter of daily life does not. Your mind will always know the difference between simulated and genuine laughter, but your body never will because it can't think.
Intentional laughter allows us to vocalize our aches and pains in a positive manner without having to verbalize anything. There is no need to explain why we are laughing.