SKIP TO: Header | | | Navigation | Main Content | Footer

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Mind & Body Articles & More

Tuesday Tip: Make Yourself Guffaw

One thing you can do today to be happier.

By Christine Carter | July 5, 2011

Laughter lowers stress hormones (even the expectation of laughter can do this) and elevates feel-good beta-endorphins. For this reason, find something that reliably makes you laugh, and keep it handy.

For me, it’s watching my kids laugh (especially my daughter Molly, who is tiny but has a belly laugh as big as the Buddah’s). All I do when I need a laugh is let them watch a few funny animal videos on YouTube or Animal Planet. They immediately dissolve in laughter, which then lifts my spirits when I laugh at them laughing!

What will you do to laugh today?

Advertisement X

© 2011 Christine Carter, Ph.D.

Become a fan of Raising Happiness on Facebook.
Follow Christine Carter on Twitter
Sign up for the Raising Happiness monthly newsletter.

About the Author

Christine Carter

Christine Carter, Ph.D. is a Senior Fellow at the Greater Good Science Center. She is the author of The New Adolescence: Raising Happy and Successful Teens in an Age of Anxiety and Distraction (BenBella, 2020), The Sweet Spot: How to Accomplish More by Doing Less (Ballantine Books, 2015), and Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents (Random House, 2010). A former director of the GGSC, she served for many years as author of its parenting blog, Raising Happiness. Find out more about Christine here.

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus

MEET THE GREATER GOOD TOOLKIT FOR KIDS

28 practices, scientifically proven to nurture kindness, compassion, and generosity in young minds

Order Now
Related Articles
- How to Set Boundaries When You’ve Never Been Taught How
  December 6, 2023
  What if your family’s cultural values don’t embrace the concept of boundaries? Here are 14 tips for boundary setting this holiday season.
- Five Ways Mindfulness Helps You Age Better
  December 4, 2023
  Research suggests that being more mindful in our everyday lives can protect our health as we age—and even help us live longer.
- Your Happiness Calendar for December 2023
  December 1, 2023
  This month, look for the light.
Take the Awe Quiz

Could your life be more awe-some?
Take the Quiz
Are You the A*Hole?

Worried that you might be wrong in that argument you're having? Intellectual humility can help.
When It’s Hard to Connect, Try Being Curious (The Science of Happiness Podcast)

When we're more curious, we are more likely to be happier and have stronger relationships. Try deepening your curiosity with these science-backed practices from author Scott Shigeoka.