Marilyn Grey believes a little laughter can go a long way in helping people deal with the stress in their lives.

The motivational speaker will demonstrate how to recapture the childhood ability to laugh off stress at the Community Caring Council's 11th annual Community Caring Conference Feb. 18.

"Traditional stress management emphasizes deep breathing, meditation and exercise," Grey said during a phone interview from her Lynnwood, Wash., office. "Laughter has a lot of these things built in."

She said laughter, not little chuckles but big belly laughs, causes people to breathe deeply and is a physical activity. Research shows laughter lowers blood pressure, activates the body's immune system and helps keep the brain healthy, she said.

But while children laugh 50 to 100 times per day, adults only laugh a few times per day, Grey said.

"Kids don't wait until there is something funny to laugh at. They laugh at the unexpected," she said. "If a child falls down and isn't hurt, he'll generally laugh. If an adult falls down, he feels humiliated and will look around, hoping no one saw him."

Gray said as people grow up they are taught not to laugh. She noted children are scolded for laughing out loud in church and at school. Soon, people feel embarrassed about laughing.

Yet, especially for those involved in social work and health fields, which the conference is aimed at, laughter can be a wonderful way to shake off the bad feelings they may carry home.

"It's natural for these people to empathize with the pain and suffering of others, and there's nothing wrong with that. But when you take these feelings home day after day you end up needing relief, a chance to gain perspective," Grey said.

She recommends finding something to laugh at. Grey finds it by turning on the Comedy Channel and watching comics, especially those who are good story tellers like Paula Poundstone. Others, Grey said, may find laughter watching the antics of animals, reading newspaper comics or watching a funny movie.

And while individual laughter can help lift spirits, Grey said group laughter, like the kind found at her seminars, can produce a bonding experience.

Listening to a motivational speaker can open up people to others, to themselves and to different ways of thinking, Grey said.

Shirley Ramsey, executive director of the Community Caring Council, said Grey puts on a wonderful presentation. "She's been to our conference before and she's one of the best speakers we've had," Ramsey said.

In addition to Grey's motivational seminar, the council's Community Partnership Awards will be given out during the conference, which is the council's major fund raiser, Ramsey said.

The conference is geared to professionals, parents and ministers who work with families, the aged and children, Ramsey said.

"It not only offers professional development but also gives them a break and helps them deal with the day to day," Ramsey said.

Community Caring Conference

Sponsor: Community Caring Council

Speaker: Marilyn Grey

When: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 18

Where: Holiday Inn Convention Center

Registration: $55

Deadline for registering: Thursday

For information: 651-2099