You may be surprised to learn that not everyone can spontaneously laugh nor can everyone experience a belly laugh. This depends to a large degree on the capacity of the nervous system to handle the activation necessary for such a physical response. (Your "activation" is a body-felt measure of the charge in your nervous system.)

Drug abuse begins to destroy parts of our central nervous system. nervous system activation increases, your brain moves into a trauma state.

It's pretty hard in a trauma state to let go. The "high charge" in the nervous system communicates a level of danger. It has learned from thousands of years of close calls, if there's danger, it's best to stay on guard. 

Furthermore, focusing on anything other than what's necessary for survival becomes a chore. That means what you think is important, isn't necessarily what's important to a brain in a trauma state.

Dr. LaCombe says Laughter is believed to be a right brain activity with the capacity to help us feel balanced. One way that it does so is via this discharge capacity.

A healthy nervous system can manage energy well. That is, the nervous system becomes energized via stimulation (i.e. it becomes activated) and then it discharges the energy accordingly. 

We move through cycles of activation and discharge naturally and efficiently (if we have a healthy nervous system) all day long.

George Bernard Shaw, said "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

Being playful is a great emotional resource. In fact, research has shown that the couple that plays together, often stays together.1

What's even more significant is that play is also very present.

The healthier we become emotionally, the easier it is to be playful. Because the healthier we become the more we are present.

It's that quality of being in the moment that makes play possible. You see, you can't play anytime but now!

The best playful moments happen spontaneously. Acting coyly or affectionately teasing your partner might be a romantic kind of playfulness. Surprising a friend with unexpected behaviour is another.

For many people playfulness was not something they learned or were encouraged to value in their families.