After going through a difficult divorce you probably don’t feel much like laughing. Life is hard, you’re struggling trying to find your way along this new path in your life, the stresses are piling higher and higher, but I’m here to tell you, laugh anyway. Trust me, it makes all the difference in the world.
Recent studies have actually shown that laughter creates a physiological response in your body that strengthens your immune system and gives you more energy. Both of those things happen to be extremely important as a single parent. You need the energy to parent your children on your own and the stronger your immune system the better. We all know how hard it is to call in sick to work as a single parent. You might need those days for when your kids are home sick and can’t go to school.
So laugh, it really is the best medicine there is.
If you’re feeling stressed, laughing can help there too. Laughter actually decreases the amount of stress hormones throughout your body and replaces them with endorphins which helps improve your mood and makes you feel good all the way around.
If you’re having trouble finding things to laugh about, just look at your kids. Nothing can get me laughing harder or longer than my little four year old. Just tonight he was running around the bathroom stark naked yelling, “Tickle me, Mommy! Tickle me!” Neither one of us could stop laughing as we took turns tickling each other. There is nothing sweeter than hearing a child’s laughter. It is more contagious than any cough or cold could ever dream of being.
So when your days seem dark and nothing seems to be going your way, find something to laugh about. Your body will be thankful you did.