07 Nov 2015 | John Stamoulos |
Be light hearted. It’s contagious
Laughter communicates the same lightheartedness and joy in any country, any culture and any age group. The actual context of the expression may change with geography, age and societal norms, but laughter is the response to tickling that universal funny bone.
In today’s world of war, anger, competition, stress and anxiety, we are often more inclined to view life as dark and filled with drama. If we allow it to work its magic, laughter is a rare commodity that is the antidote for much of what ails us.
Go Ahead – Laugh Out Loud!
- It’s a stress reducer and it lowers blood pressure: the fight or flight/ stress hormones such as epinephrine and cortisol are quieted when you laugh.
- During illness, laughter therapy increases antibodies and killer T-cells that affect the strength of immune system and promote healing.
- Want to give your heart and your body an aerobic workout? Get laughing. A prolonged bout of laughter increases your body’s use of oxygen and simultaneously works your diaphragm, abdominal, respiratory, facial and other body muscles.
- It can be a healthy coping mechanism that creates a momentary distraction from chronic pain and suffering of all kinds and can actually help create a more optimistic shift in perspective.
- When you laugh, your whole brain harmonizes and gets involved. Studies have shown that humour requires many parts of the brain to work together in order to understand and enjoy a good joke.
- Laughter is a cathartic mechanism for harmlessly releasing stored anger, sadness and fear from our bodies and promoting a fresh perspective on life.
Bring Laughter into Your Life
- Go to a funny movie.
- Surround yourself with the people in your community who make you laugh
- Find your own sense of humour and use it every chance you get. Learn how to tell jokes –maybe even find a course to teach you.
- Find a Laughter Yoga class and plan to explore its healthy breathing and laughter healing and wellness techniques
We all can use more laughter in our lives and, unlike other indulgences we turn to that can cause addictions, there are no side effects and you cannot overdose on it. Let laughter add a positive note to your greatest challenges and notice your life transforms for you and for others around you.
Psssst – it’s contagious in the best way ever!
