MALIBU, CALIF.--When the best-laid plans of a Holiday dinner go bust or a weekend getaway is one bungled reservation after another, it's easy to get angry. Yet, nothing can strengthen a marriage more than when a couple laughs while hitting the inevitable bumps along life's road, says Dr. Noelle Nelson, relationship expert and author of Your Man is Wonderful (Free Press, 2009).
"Laughter is a phenomenal healer. It lowers stress and boosts your immune system," says Nelson. "It's also great for your relationship. It's hard to be mad or hold a grudge when you're laughing. Laughter helps couples get through the rough times."
One might argue that couples who laugh, laugh because they are happy. "It's actually the other way around," notes Nelson. "Couples who laugh about things find it easier to be happy together."
Nelson says we all get to choose the response to any event. "We can choose to get upset and all worked up about things, or we can choose to see the humor in a situation," explains Nelson. "Of course, there are serious matters that are never to be laughed at, but most of the ordinary day-to-day of life is funny when we choose to see it that way."
Dealing with an unsmiling sales clerk, looking in the mirror at a bad haircut or sitting through two hours of unexpected gridlock can all be sources of frustration--
"When you view the world with humor instead of dismay, you'll find funny situations all around you. Sharing laughter with your mate over the foibles of life is one of the best and surest ways to happiness," says Nelson.
For more marriage tips, go to Nelson's blog, http://anotefromdrnoelle.blogspot.com/
