2/24/2009 - by Tyler Wirth,
Owner/Editor HumorInfusion.com
Take Laughter as Seriously as a Heart
Attack!
In an average day, how many times do you laugh? I mean really
laugh hard?
Probably not very much, right? I would argue that most don’t
have a good belly laugh (you know, the type where you can’t
stop and you stomach hurts after) more than once a week, if not
once a month. This is sad.
As of late, all around us we see turmoil. The economy, the
stock market, the job market, the housing market are all areas
that bring us down on a daily basis. Turn on the news and the
first fifteen minutes are flooded with items of death, tragedy,
and our financial woes. If you’re not dramatically affected by
these aspects of everyday life, certainly you know someone who
is. It’s unavoidable and it’s stressful.
But there is something you can do to keep from succumbing. You
can laugh. Laughter is the most powerful natural tool in
relieving stress and helping a person cope with some of the
muck life tends to throw at us.
How does laughter relieve
stress?
There are several factors, and studies, which show us how well
laughter works to relieve stress. According to the Mayo Clinic,
the short-term effects of a good belly laugh
include:
-
Organ
stimulation. When you laugh, you take in
more oxygen which stimulates your heart, lungs, and
muscles. In turn, more endorphins are released by your
brain.
- Stress response
activation. With a good belly laugh, your
stress response is activated and then cooled down which
increases your heart rate and blood pressure, leaving you
feeling pleasantly relaxed.
- Stomachache
relief. Increased blood flow to your organs
can help smooth out digestion issues, which can be both a
cause and symptom of stress.
Laughter does much
more than simply providing a momentary boost. In the long-term,
it has grand power in helping deal with stress in the
following:
- Immune
system. Pessimistic
thoughts act like a giant funnel, bringing more
stress into your body which is extremely harsh on
your immune system. Optimistic thinking does just the
opposite, releasing neuropeptides which combat stress
and help you maintain a good line of defense against
worse infirmities.
- Pain
relief. The
chemicals released by the body when you laugh act as
natural painkillers, and over time the body can
produce these easier when
needed.
- Coping
ability. Laughter can make dealing with
difficult situations much easier (this is not to say that
one should laugh at a death in the family) by helping
lessen the time it takes to return to a normal
state.
How do I laugh more?
Because everyone is different,
there’s no magic potion that can make you laugh. But you can
take some steps that will greatly increase your potential to
laugh. Sharpening your funny bone might sound grisly, but it’s
not as difficult as you might think. Try the
following:
- Humor = Reality +
Distance. Simply thinking about that which is
around you every day in a different light can help you
increase your chuckling ability (and the ability to help
those around you laugh as well). Adding an element that’s
far from reality can be a great way to add some
humor.
- Laugh and the world laughs with
you. That is,
unless you just started World War III. First, start with
laughing about your own situation. The more you can do
this, the more your stress meter will
fall.
- Positive thinking
power. Never
underestimate the power that positive thinking holds.
Always try and look at situations with a cup-half-full
mentality and you will be better prepared to find the humor
within.
- Share a
joke. Sharing
a joke or two with colleagues is a great way to
laugh, but be careful to also know your audience so
that you don’t offend.
- Use your best
judgment. Not much to detail here other than
making sure that before you open your mouth, make sure
you’re foot is not already on its way to fill the
void!
Humor
Infusion
Recommended
Reading:
Taking Laughter
Seriously ,
Laughter The Best
Medicine ,
The Fun Factor: Your Prescription for
Stress Relief at Work and at
Home
Our goal at HumorInfusion.com is to help you
reduce stress, improve your health, gain self-esteem, and
increase your success. Join our
newsletter to learn more about the many ways you
can infuse more humor into your life and soon, these benefits
will be yours.
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