I have decided to dedicate a post on Thursday to therapy, and offer you the many tips I have learned on the couch. They will be a good reminder for me, as well, of something small I can concentrate on. Many of them are published in my book, “The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit.”

I think Rita Mae Brown had the right attitude when she wrote, “The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they are okay, then it’s you.” She attempts to have a little fun with a solemn subject.

So should we.

Because laughter relieves stress, reduces pain, boosts our immune systems, and helps us to fight viruses and foreign cells. Plus it cultivates optimism, that sunny and sometimes-annoying attitude of life that can do wonders for your mood, protecting you from negativity, fear, and panic.

But the most important reason to laugh?

It’s fun.

And it surely beats crying, although from 10 feet away most people can’t tell the difference.