Mindfulness and Laughter - Boosting Your LOL Quotient

There's a relatively new field of psychology referred to as happiness studies. While I like to imagine researchers goofing around all day with whoopee cushions and googley- eye glasses, it's quite a serious area. It poses some critical questions--and digs up interesting answers--regarding what makes humans happy.

The givens: love, health, (relative) wealth, and creative outlets More to the point: belly laughs

Even if we've got the love/health/wealth thing figured out, it doesn't mean we're having a good time. We can have everything we've ever wanted--on paper, at least--and still be unhappy.

Now, that's sad.

What's emerging in study after study is that people want to have fun. Well, pardon me for saying so, but duh.

Yet, again and again, we choose to spend our time on activities that we think will be fun, that might have been fun at one time, but just take up time without giving us those belly laughs. Worse, many of our chosen "leisure" or "recreation" activities actually reduce our happiness levels!

We've stopped paying attention to what I call the LOL quotient: the frequency of Laughing Out Loud. It's amazing how many people can go through an entire day--or even longer!--without a single belly laugh.

We put our getting-it-done face on and just get through the day.

That's no fun.

The solution? Pay attention to your LOL quotient, and choose ways to boost it.

Let's look at exercise. Now, we all know we need to do it. We also know it helps us feel happy--or at least, those endorphins have the power to boost our feeling of well being.

But sometimes we get dragged down by the very activity we think will help us! Are you laughing during your workout? You should be.

At one time, my family belonged to a mega fitness center. Sparkling new, full of amenities, loads of classes.

It was such a depressing place. The women looked absolutely dour. In the locker room, they were sniping and complaining about their lives. The men were running on the treadmill while earnestly reading the financial magazines.

Nobody was laughing...they were not even smiling. Frantic mothers were squabbling with their toddlers before and after dropping them off in the childcare center. Only in a couple of dance classes were people having any fun.

I couldn't stand it. We quit.

Last year while living in Mexico, my daughter and I joined a gym at which we busted a gut on every visit. It was just too dorky for words, and even though it was sweaty (no air conditioning!) and dingy and the equipment was abysmal, there was always something to laugh about.

Here in Buenos Aires, we had lots of choices of gyms to join. We quickly dismissed the big gleaming fitness center packed full of exercisers on overdrive. We skipped the ominously-named "Steel and Blood" gym.

We went for the local club on our corner that has regular people popping in for 30-minute workouts, is decorated with super cheesy 80s posters, plays a hilarious mix of music, and is closed on Sundays.

You see, I want something to laugh about. I don't want to be surrounded by people who view their workout as the only highlight of their day. And I want the bliss of knowing that I can't possibly go to the gym on Sunday even if I wanted to--I just have to find something fun and active to do instead.

As a former fitness trainer, I know what we need to do to get strong. But I also know what we need to do to get HAPPY. And I'd root for happiness over fitness in any smackdown contest.

Here in Buenos Aires, tango is huge. There are tango halls packed with would-be dancers. People come here on vacation from around the world solely to watch the tango shows, take lessons, and take their turn on the dance floor.

I can't get into it. Why? Because it is so serious! There is no laughing in tango. It is earnest, and there are all kinds of rules and rituals.

Give me salsa dancing! You dance like a crazy person to happy music, you can laugh all you like, and you still get to wear sexy dresses and fabulous shoes.

Pay attention to the choices you're making and take a look at where and when you're laughing--and just as importantly, where and when you're NOT.

Focus on ONE area such as exercise, and take a serious look at how much fun you're having.

Remember that laughter isn't just the best medicine--it's the best exercise.

Find ways to do frequent sets of Ha!-Ha!-Ha!-Ha! and you'll have an enviable LOL quotient.

It's going to look great on you.

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