Children laugh about 300 times a day. The average adult? Only four times a day. As our lives become heavy with responsibilities and serious matters, we forget to simply laugh. That childhood wonder and positivity fades throughout life, but it’s truly important to infuse more laughter throughout the day. Laughing affects our mind and body in beneficial ways. Here are a few reasons why you should laugh more:

Increases creativity—Laughing, like smiling, can trick your mind into feeling relaxed in tense situations. If you’ve been experiencing writer’s block or a brief stunt in creativity, infuse more humor in your work day.

Decreases stress—Studies have shown that laughing reduce levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine and dopamine. Laughing also increases endorphins, infection-fighting antibodies and improves blood flow to the heart.

Enlivens your life—Laughter can help us see life with a glass half full outlook. Laughing frequently enlivens us, increases positive thinking and optimism, as well as making us friendlier.