Have you ever experienced a day where laughter wasn't present? Have you ever felt like all you needed to make the day better were some amazing words of encouragement? Or even better just a hug and a laugh with someone close to you?

The answer is probably yes. We all have bad days and sad days, but one way I learned to make a bad day better was by filling in all the messy gaps with laughter. Laughing with friends, or watching something to make you laugh is the best way to cure the sad day blues. Research done by 19th century physiologist, Duchene, says that a "real" smile (when your lips part and turn up and the muscles contract around the eyes creating crow's feet), involuntarily sends a signal of genuine joy to the brain. Laughter is contagious, just as if someone were to smile at you, we tend to automatically smile back. I know that when someone just takes the time to smile at me or even wave, even if I'm in the worst mood, it can easily brighten my day. Think about that from now on when you are walking to classes and you see someone you recognize. Maybe smile at them and just make them feel noticed! I'm telling you, that can brighten someone's day more than you may ever know.

Now think about it, you are sad and just had a rough day. Maybe you scored poorly on that math test that you have been so tediously preparing for. Your best friend decides she is going to make you feel better by cracking a few jokes, messing around with you and just trying to make you giggle in any way possible. Now tell me you can recall a time when that occurred to you and you didn't even feel just the slightest bit better. Laughter and happiness is truly contagious. Have you ever met a person that is just genuinely happy all the time, always smiling and so cheery? If you hung out with that person for the whole day, I can bet that some of that happy attitude would rub off on you and then you can spread it onto someone else.

As a child, I loved to be silly and let's be real, I loved being the center of attention; my goal was to make everyone around me laugh. I believe all of us should keep that little kid spirit in us every day as we grow older. It adds a little extra fun to your day. Bring out all the joy and happiness of this life by laughing about the silly things! Next time you are feeling down, bring a little laughter into your day and it can make your day better in an instant.