To laugh is a healthy thing and life is too short not to do it more. As a matter of fact, your doctor might prescribe more laughter, instead of taking anxiety medications.

Unhappiness can cripple people in the workplace, at home and hurt relationships. Sometimes anxiety is accompanied with depression or other mental disorders. “Anxiety disorders can adversely affect the quality of life, mobility, education, employment, social functioning, health care and physical well-being,” the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland reported.

A study found that antidepressant usage has increased 400 percent since 1994. One in 10 adults in America were on some kind of medication for depression or anxiety. If we are honest, we are a miserable bunch.

Have you lost a passion for the things you loved? Can you remember the last time that you laughed? Depending on your answer, you might need more laughter in your life. You might be thinking "Where do I start?" We are happy that you asked!

Here are 9 reasons to invite more laughter into your life. Even if you are grouchy, you might become reformed.

Laughter will help you lighten up.

Before we can get going here, you need to get a sense of humor. No one likes to be around a grump. You may have a personality that is serious. However, this is not an excuse. Lighten up by not taking yourself so seriously! One of the keys to happiness is accepting that we are all weird in our own way. You can’t control life, but you can only control your reaction to it. If you need help, jot down the hurts on a piece of paper and then destroy the list as an act of letting issues or people go.

Laughter was good for people in Biblical times.

For all those people who believe the Bible is full of gloom, pay attention as laughter was mentioned in the Old Testament. Laughter was mentioned in Genesis 21:6: Sarah then said, “God has given me cause to laugh, and all who hear of it will laugh with me." God knew then that His people needed to laugh off stress and enjoy life. Maybe God knew if we would laugh more that we would have more joy. If it was good for Sarah, it is good for us.

Laughter releases stress.

The health benefits of laughter are pretty amazing. It can increase oxygen flow, reduce stress hormones and can help ease tension in your muscles. Some studies have shown that positive people who laugh often have increased life spans. "A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after. Laughter boosts the immune system," Healthguide.org reported.

Laughter helps your creativity.

When we laugh more and relax about life, we can open the channels of creativity more in your life. You can try writing, painting, sculpting or baking. You will enjoy your creativity in a fresh new way because you are more relaxed and at ease with yourself. New approaches to old problems might even spring up as you giggle more.

Laughter builds better relationships.

Telling jokes, remembering a funny incident or an embarrassment from the past can do wonders for your relationships. By laughing together, you are engaging with other people and enriching your relationships. You can do this by being spontaneous, letting go of anger and criticalness. "Sharing humor is half the fun—in fact, most laughter doesn’t come from hearing jokes, but rather simply from spending time with friends and family," Healthguide.org added. Find a moment today to share a laugh.

Laughter gives you a tummy workout.

"When you are laughing, the muscles in your stomach expand and contract, similar to when you intentionally exercise your abs," author and writer E.C. LaMeaux shared on Gaiam.com. You can burn up to 40 calories in less than 20 minutes. If you laugh for 30 minutes it is like lifting weights at the gym.

Laughter helps with pain.

When you laugh, the body creates a natural pain reliever by releasing endorphins. Researchers from Oxford University found that people watching or participating in a comedy "led to higher pain tolerance, the researchers found, and there was a dose-related response to laughter: people who laughed more felt less pain later," TIME reported.

Laughter helps you feel like a kid again.

Kids can be so happy. They giggle at the small things in life and can add that to your life as well. Hang out with your own kids or someone else's kids to feel like one again. A study found that kids can laugh over 300 times a day. Yet, adults only laugh an average of 15 times a day. When we learn to laugh more, we teach our kids to relax about things. You can dress up in funny costumes together, watch a funny movie or watch funny videos online. "Laughter plays a huge role in how we handle adversity by allowing us to escape from our problems for a little while," Parenting.com shared.

Laughter makes you likable.

People are more attracted to the social groups that laugh more. This might help you attract more positive people in your life and could be the reason laughter improves romance. Why? When you are smiling more and are happy, you are more approachable. "When you see a person that is smiling, laughing and having a good time then you are more likely to approach them versus any other equally attractive person at the venue," Elite Daily reported. This makes you a better commodity than someone who is stone faced all the time. Also, a happier person is a sexier person as a discontented person really looks miserable and not so sexy!

By now, you should be convinced that allowing more laughter more can really do you wonders. Laughter really is the best medicine for all of us.