The peak age of laughter is four. Four year-olds laugh once every four minutes, or four hundred times per day. Adults, on the other hand, laugh an average of 15 times a day. What this tells me is that it’s a good thing that I hang out with a four year old all day long, but it would be even better for me if I laughed every time she (and her sisters) did!

Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”

This scripture suggests that when you need a boost of energy, laughter (not caffeine) may be the solution. So, What are some ways to bring more laughter into our lives?

6 Strategies to Get You Laughing!

1. Slow Down and Enjoy Life’s Blessings – Job 14:1 says, “How short is life, how full of trouble!” Since it is certain that we will face our share of troubles in this life, it would do us good to revel in the blessings that God gives us. I’ve noticed when I slow my pace, take a positive approach, and turn up the music during “cranky hour” (think 5-6pm) with my kids, what could have been a whining session turns into a giggle fest.

2. Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously – Learn to laugh at your silly mistakes instead of beating yourself up for them. So many moments in life turn sour with frustration when we could have just laughed in the face of forgetfulness or “acts done while deprived of sleep.” (think orange juice in your coffee).

3. Reflect on Fun Times – I have some pretty great sister-in-laws. We were laughing last night as we thought back on some of the more hilarious moments we have faced together over the last decade. There’s plenty of time to contemplate the tragedies and problems of this world so there should be plenty of time to laugh about the hilarious moments we’ve experienced in life.

4. Think About Your Health – It’s proven that people who laugh more live longer. “When we laugh it causes blood pressure reduction, endorphins to kick in and our T-cell count to go up, just for starters. People who laugh more live longer, are sick less often, have better quality friendships and are generally more content than those who don’t laugh very much,” claims Chris Popp, founder of Laughter Works.

5. Turn Your Mind Towards Heaven – in Heaven, we are promised that “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:4. If there’s no crying or pain anymore, what this says to me is that there’s going to be a lot of laughter in Heaven! As C.S. Lewis so beautifully expresses, “Joy is the serious business of Heaven.”

6. Consider Jesus Your Example – R.C. Sproul says, “In the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament—for example, in Ecclesiastes—we’re told that certain things are appropriate at certain times. There’s a time to plant, a time to reap, a time to build, a time to tear down; there’s a time to dance, a time to sing, a time to laugh, a time to cry. Since God has, in his seasons, appointed appropriate times for laughter, and Jesus always did what was appropriate, it would seem to me that when it was time to laugh, he laughed.”

Remember this: As Christians, we have every reason to be filled with joy because of the relationship we have with God through Christ. Let’s live lives of contagious joy that energizes those around us and draws them into the presence of Christ Himself! As Chuck Swindoll says, “I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let’s face it, friends make life a lot more fun.“