By Kac Young PhD, ND, DCH

Remember when you could laugh just for the fun of it? How about the time when you and your friend couldn’t stop laughing, your sides hurt and tears streamed down your face? I have a friend like that. Her name is Karen Cadle. We can be at the opera and she’ll lean over and make a comment that, for some reason, my brain thinks is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. Next thing I know, I am holding my face, burying my head in my lap and trying desperately not to interrupt the show. My reaction dominoes and sends Karen into spasms of swallowed laughter and, more than once, we’ve had to step outside an event in order to preserve the sanctity of the performance. I don’t know what it is, but she can decimate me with one sentence. I have to admit it; she owns my funny bone.

But what about those times when we don’t have a single laugh in us? We’re stressed, trying to meet deadlines, overworked, over-committed, over-tired, overdrawn and probably overweight. Life seems like a hammer not a thrill ride and it’s all we can do to put one foot in front of the other to make it through the day. You find yourself wanting to tell everyone, “Go away and leave me alone,” or, “You might think that’s funny, but it isn’t funny to me.”

What do you need at this time? A pill? A massage? A friend? An hour by yourself? Professional help? Whatever you need, it can’t be subtle. You’re in a rut, your soul is dehydrated and you need a jolt. You desperately need to restore your inner laugher and here are some ideas you can try.

You might just need a dose of LRK – The Laughter Retrieval Kit.

10 Suggestions from The Laughter Retrieval Kit:

1) Do something just a little bit naughty. Skip out on a meeting – apologize before hand, but skip it. Drop out for an afternoon. Alert those who might be affected with a simple, “I’m so sorry but something just came up. I’ll fill you in later. Please forgive me.” I’m not suggesting that you don’t show up on the day you are supposed to give your sister a kidney, but anything that is non-critical and “duty bound” you can miss. You’ll probably feel energized simply because you’ve bent the rules and gone slightly rogue. Enjoy the moment and do something just for yourself. (I can still recall the naughty feeling I had when I took a clandestine sip of beer while wearing my girl scout uniform. Smile.)

2) Take a nap. Find a park, a friend’s couch or a safe place and just snooze for an hour or two. Really. What you might need is some stolen sleep in the middle of the day. Choose a quiet venue and just take a nap. It’s miraculous what 90 minutes or more of pure rest will do for you.

3) Go ice skating. Fall on your butt. Unless that’s what put you in the dumps to begin with. Pick a sport that challenges you and go take a lesson, take a spin, find a mentor and have a go at it. You will be able to shift your focus and concentrate on the physical which will ultimately lift your spirits whether you qualify for the Olympics or not. (We have the Olympics and The Special Olympics, but what about an Olympics for wanna-be’s? We could call it the No-Chance-In -Hell-Olympics, or the What-Were-You-Thinking Olympics – a special event for those who are not so good at sports and don’t give a rat’s patutti about the prize only the fun of participation. ) Get your play on.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this article shortly…..

– Kac Young , a former television director and producer, has earned a Ph.D. in Natural Health and is a Doctor of both Clinical Hypnotherapy and Naturopathy. She is the author of 10 books. Heart Easy is a system of nutritionally sound, delicious meals that promote heart health, long life and taste great. Traditional recipes have been turned into heart healthy meals that anyone can make. The health results are outstanding.