I was pondering about this expression the other day. Why is humour referred to as a sense? The word 'sense' is defined as an ability to understand, recognise, value or react to something.

If our sense of humour has suffered a little redundancy recently, how can we sharpen our ability to laugh at (or to recognise) the humourous side in the everyday tedium?

The great thing about humour is that, unlike the five physical senses of sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste, which deteriorate with age, we can sharpen and finely tune our sense of humour with each passing day. We may get older but our humour need not.

If you have ever laughed heartily at a stand up comedian, the chances are, the material that had you laughing out loud is all about the everyday stuff. A comedian often becomes an absolute master at taking a relatively mundane story, subject or quirk of human nature and turning it into something we can chuckle about. Michael McIntyre, for example, has this down to a fine art. He can even find humour in the herb rack. For two minutes of smiles go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az080LXT7FA

Yes, this is undoubtedly a gift and takes great skill but it is something we can all train ourselves to become better at.

According to scientists, a spontaneous burst of laughter is comparable to three minutes of aerobic exercise and ten warm smiles equal ten minutes of intensive rowing. Furthermore, laughing aids digestion, brain function and circulation.

With health benefits like these, we surely need regular belly laughs! So, what circumstance will you 'sense' the humour in today?