The other day my daughter's boyfriend sent me a funny video
clip, something he loves to do. Because I was frazzled due
to a deadline, I almost didn't open it. But I did and it
changed my day. The clip made me laugh out loud. Laughing
changed my attitude. My day didn't seem so difficult
anymore.
Laughter is a wonderful activity. With children, it seems
to come naturally. It's not so easy with adults. At some
point, we get cautious about our laughter. After all, we
are ADULTS and life is something to take SERIOUSLY.
Laughter stops coming as readily as it did when we were
kids. Yet, laughter is essential and it needs to be a
regular part of our lives.
Why? Because laughter has been proven to reduce stress,
lower blood pressure, improve the immune system and, in
general, make a person feel good. As a preventive
technique, it's also extremely easy to use. In addition,
laughter is as contagious as a yawn. This means if you
share it, you're just spreading the BENEFITS of laughter.
What can YOU do to increase your own laughter quotient?
First figure what you find funny. Do you like cartoons,
jokes, funny video clips or something entirely different?
Knowing what tickles your particular funny bone will help
you create more opportunities for laughing.
Next, find ways to expose yourself to the things that make
you laugh. Think of it as creating your own "daily dose of
laughter". Here are some activities that can help you add
laughter into your daily ritual:
1) Keep a favorite funny picture, cartoon or video clip on
your computer's desktop and look at it during your day. As
I love cats, my favorite video shows cats doing silly
things. It always makes me laugh.
2) If you watch TV, consider watching a cartoon show. It
is fun and something you can do with your kids. Also,
consider watching more comic movies or TV shows. For
example, I learned the value of this when I watched the Ice
Age animated movies and fell in love with a demented
squirrel!
3) Set up a "laugh a lot" group among your friends.
Exchange jokes or other humorous things. It helps if you
share the same type of humor or the group agrees to what is
considered to be appropriate humor.
4) Find humorous websites that you can visit. There are
sites for everyone's type of humor. For example, here's a
site that gives you a variety of choices to increase your
laughter:
http://www.bestsearchers.com/best-websites/humor-jokes.html
5) Try something really different. For example, join a
Laughter Club. These free clubs invite people to come
together and practice laughing. They do this because there
is evidence that laughing out loud is beneficial to a
person's health and well being. For more information on
Laughter Clubs, visit: http://www.laughteryoga.org.
You can add other activities to this list that will
strengthen your funny bone. The main idea is to make
laughter a part of your daily life.
Think about it. What would happen if laughter was just as
important as brushing your teeth, eating, and exercising
daily? These are things we do to keep ourselves healthy.
Why not use laughter for the same reason? It can be the
best preventive medicine you take!
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Sara Healy is a life coach who helps people with life and
career transitions using their strengths and values. Find
out how she can help you make positive changes in your life
by contacting her at: => http://www.sarahealy.com
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