Sometimes we get so caught up in the cycle of toxic thoughts and emotions and words and choices that we forget who we are – our true selves – and we seem to operate like automatons, doing what we are supposed to do and barely surviving.

God came to give us life and life more abundantly, but when we are toxic and not walking in our perfectly you way of thinking, this pours out into our outlook and can be reflected in our schedules, the way we manage time and the choices we make about our health. Our bodies are amazingly resistant and can be pushed to extremes. But at some point your body and your brain will say “enough.”

We can become too serious, but having fun is more infectious than a virus. In fact, it is viral. Try to not laugh when those around you are in paroxysms of hysterical laughter. Try having a bad day when you have just had a good belly laugh.

In fact, having fun will detox your gift-blockers, improve your health, and make you clever to boot because your gift (your unique way of thinking) is neurologically developed when you have fun. Having fun is one of the most powerful antidotes to stress you will ever find. And it’s free. It’s a tremendous resource God has built into your brain to bring perspective into your life, help surmount problems, add sizzle to your relationships, and make you feel good.

I love having fun with my children. They do the craziest things and say the funniest things that make me laugh. I love going for walks with them and the dogs and hearing their stories. I love sitting in a jacuzzi or sauna with them and making up silly songs and voices and, well... anything that makes us laugh. Our eldest daughter loves finding funny quotes that make us laugh. And Mac loves telling jokes. Our second daughter has a way of making comments that has us rolling, so we all wait in anticipation. Our son is always playing with words in a really funny way. If we allowed our schedules to take over, we never would have these important moments.

The point is, we cannot afford to be too serious because it will contribute to the breakdown of our gifts.

Many studies show why laughter deserves to be known as “the best medicine.” (Prov. 17:22) It releases an instant flood of feel-good chemicals that boost the immune system. Almost instantly, it reduces levels of stress hormones. A really good belly laugh can make cortisol drop by 39%, adrenaline by 70%, and the feel-good hormone, endorphin, increase by 29%. It can even make growth hormones skyrocket by 87%! Other research shows how laughter boosts your immune system by increasing levels of immunity and disease-fighting cells.

Just look at some of the myriad of benefits of having fun. Humor gets both sides of your brain working together, which is one of the keys to releasing potential. Some studies even suggest that laughter helps to increase the flexibility of thought, and is as effective as aerobic exercise in boosting health in body and mind.

In fact, according to research, laughing 100 to 200 times a day is equal to 10 minutes of rowing or jogging! This sounds more fun than the gym! Laughter, quite literally, dissolves distressing toxic emotions because you can’t feel mad or sad when you laugh. When you laugh and have fun, endorphins are released which make you feel so great and at peace, those toxic thoughts can’t get out of your brain fast enough. Fun protects your heart because when you laugh and enjoy yourself, your body releases chemicals that improve the function of blood vessels and increase blood flow, protecting against heart attack. Fun reduces damaging stress chemicals quickly which, if they hang around in your body for too long, will make you mentally and physically sick. Fun and laughter also increase your energy levels.

Having fun through play and laughter is the cheapest, easiest, and most effective way to control toxic thoughts and emotions and their toxic stress reactions. It rejuvenates the mind, body, and spirit and gets positive emotions flowing.

Wow... can you afford not to laugh?