Think about the last time you had a good laugh.  I mean one of those belly laughs that left your tummy sore and bladder weak.  The kind of laughing spell that felt out of your control but in the end left you feeling good and satisfied.  Laughter is one of the best feel-good drugs around.  It raises your endorphins, releases stress, and creates a healthy connection to those with whom you have shared the moment.  Laughter is free, non-addictive, and promotes physical, emotional, and psychological well-being.  It’s one of the best things we have going and it is completely and utterly underutilized.

Besides just helping you get through the tough moments in life, laughing with the one you love can actually create more intimacy and attachment.  It helps you maintain perspective, remembering what is really important in life from what is not.  It creates a shared and intimate history filled with images and imprints of those moments that only you and your partner share—one’s that elicit the phrase “well, I guess you had to be there” when you’re trying to re-create the moment for others.  Laughter is one of the greatest gifts we have as human beings. And it is easily shared.

So here’s my tip of the week; heck, it may even be my tip of the year.  Laugh.  Loosen up.  Chill out.  Laugh when your loved one is doing that thing that drives you crazy once again.  Laugh when you recognize that you are acting crazy once again.  Laugh when the plumbing breaks down, the dog has chewed up your favorite shoes, and your son has asked you “are we there yet?” for the 100th time on your road trip. Create memories based on laughter.  Create more love and connection with others as you both acknowledge that life will always be what it is—kind of funny, kind of not.

Be well,

Julie

Julie Orlov, psychotherapist, speaker, and author of The Pathway to Love: Create Intimacy and Transform Your Relationships through Self-Discovery

Create Relationships in Your Life That Work — learn more at www.julieorlov.com