Why Bother Maintaining a Sense of Humor?

Having a sense of humor is our capacity to recognize the funny side to life. To maintain our receptivity to funniness, we have to allow ourselves to laugh. Though life is serious, we can’t make it so somber that we forget to engage the muscles we use for laughter. If we do, those muscles will atrophy. 

  Retaining Muscular Tone

The muscles used for laughter are located in our abdomen, around our mouth and eyes. When responding to humor, our brow goes up, eyes widen and our jaws relax and may even open wide. Muscles in our abdomen move as we emit a gleeful noise. Of course the more we exercise these particular laughing muscles, the more toned they become, the less we engage them, well then the more lax they become.

It is easy to spot people with lax laughter muscles. Their mouth is turned downward, lips pursed, and eyes absent of any merriment. Their shoulders are lax, turned inward and their bellies slightly protrude. It does not take long for anyone’s body to conform to the posture lacking in elation, jubilant or joy. 

On the other hand, it is just as easy to spot those whose facial and belly muscles are toned by laughter and whose eyes are moist and clear from tears of daily guffawing. Like following in the footsteps of morally upright people, shadowing a person with toned laughter muscles and merry eyes is crucial to our own well-being. 

When we surround ourselves with people who laugh easily, smile often, and see the funny side to life, our lives will be better off. Though I cannot say the exact number of times we need to exercise the muscles involved with laughter, I do know that repetitive movement of those muscles does more good than harm. So, the more we are engaged in the action of laughing and smiling, the easier it will be to maintain well toned laughing muscles. 

Just in case you need a smile or a little tee-hee; What do you get when you cross a tortoise with a porcupine? (a slow poke).

Why bother maintaining a sense of humor? Maintaining our sense of humor is as important as retaining any other part of our wellness. But don’t take my word for it. Have a good laugh and feel it for yourself.