Giggle and Enjoy Yourself - Laugh Therapy"Laughter is a tranquillizer with no side effects" ~ Arnold Glasgon
It is official, laughing is good for you. Research shows that laughing has positive effects on every aspect of your life and health. Laughter lifts you up and life becomes worth living. Did you know that a laughing fit is just as liberating as a good cry? It really clears the mental decks. It is mindfulness and pure, wholesome joy in action. You experience that vanishing state of being called relaxation. You stress less and enjoy the company of other people more. You live and enjoy the present moment. Laughter is contagious and it creates laughter for other people. Allowing laughter to swell into a movement across the world would reduce the growing anger and violence.
And not that you need more reasons, but laughter has been proven to:
- Strengthen your immune system
- Release endorphins
- Lower your blood pressure
- Make your cheeks sore
- Enhance your cardiovascular flexibility
- Increase the level of oxygen in your blood
- Make you think more clearly
- Put a devilish twinkle in your eye
- Increase your intellectual performance and information retention
- Make you forget what you were laughing about
- Destroy your conservative reputation
- Replenish your creative juices
- Dampen your undergarment (oops)
- Increase your spirit quotient
- Release and transforms your emotional pain
- Develop abdominal muscles of steel
- Create perspective and remind yourself of the bigger picture
- Help yourself to live and die, laughing
- Be good for weight loss (apparently 5 minutes of belly laughing burns the equivalent calories of 15 minutes of indoor cycling!)
Now, I am not saying that you should smile or laugh 400 times per day (it would be nice though), but wouldn’t it be great if you laughed or smiled more than 15 times a day. So, while you can't force a laugh, you can invite more humour into your life. How? Give this a try:
- Cultivate your sense of humour - find something small to have a smile about every day
- Try to see the silliness that's lurking just below the surface.
- Learn to laugh at yourself – Don’t take everything so serious. If you can take yourself lightly, you can put most of your worries into perspective.
- Be spontaneous and playful.
- Allow some fun into your life.
- Make friends with people who bring out the playful side of you.
- Try and do something a bit foolish or silly every day.
- If something happens that annoys you, make a funny face, stick out your tongue or do a silly little dance.
4 comments:
I love it. Thankyou. I have to say however that you totally can force laughter; at first it isn't real but as you continue it turns to giggles...
It's an idea from India, I'm not too sure of it's origin but people actually get together and stand in a circle every morning and laugh. I have only found one place does this (in Sydney). Maybe there are laughing groups near you Dakota?
Hi there, Faerie. So nice of you to drop by!
I know that there are laugh therapy groups out there; we even have them over here :) They do one day workshops too, where they teach you how to force laughter like this. Wow! This really makes me laugh :)
I have read and heard lots about this and it works for me. Gives me a real boost, if only temporarily.
I've had lots of laughs in London this week, so I should be all fired up, but I think I need sleep first. :]
Oh, you’ve been away…again ;) Great, DoGGa!! I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself. But I guess you have....or else you would have stated that you had cried or had been depressed a lot :)
Hmm… I guess needing sleep is a pretty good indicator too :)
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