“Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally without having to go outdoors.” Norman Cousins
At his recent birthday party, my husband was on painkillers for his back issues. While playing a game similar to Charades, he moved in such slow motion that it totally tickled me. I burst out laughing and had tears streaming down my face. I laughed hard for a good 5 minutes and everyone around me laughed. It released so much stress! And there’s a good reason for that. Laughter is healing on so many levels. Using humor and laughter as intentional stress relievers is a simple, effective way to support healthy stress management and restore emotional balance during demanding days. A study showed that one good belly laugh is worth 45 minutes of stress relief!
Laughter Reduces Pain
A new study by Clarkson University in New York examined patients with the chronic pain condition Fibromyalgia. Those who find humor in everyday situations are much more likely to have a positive state of mind and less pain. The University of Maryland Medical Center shows that a good hearty laugh jogs your internal organs, gives your body a workout and reduces pressure. Laughter also improves your immune system function by increasing
the level of infection-fighting T-cells.
How to Increase Your Laughter
• Listen to Comedy Have a long commute? Turn on satellite radio’s comedy channels and laugh your way to work. I did this in traffic for years and it made all the difference. Or pop in a CD from your favorite comic.
• Lighten Up We all have a tendency to take ourselves very seriously, and really, there is such much to laugh about. Some situations are inherently funny and some can be viewed that way later. As a wise man once said, “If it’s going to be funny later. you might as well laugh about it now.”
• Watch funny videos There’s a reason those animal videos are so entertaining- they make you laugh. Funny movies can do the same thing.
• Encourage laughter in meetings Start with a positive and then tell a funny story that is not offensive to anyone. Laughter sets a tone and communicates subtly “We’re going to have a good time here.” The healthiest organizations encourage laughter and stress relievers. Promote that in your organization.
Try to consciously insert more laughter into your life. I guarantee it will make you feel better.
Snowden
Celebrating Our Tribe
Mindy Barker of Mindy Barker & Associates does a fantastic job providing entrepreneurial business owners and non-profits with Fortune 500-level CFO services. A positive, intelligent woman who loves to give back to her community, Mindy just celebrated her daughter’s wedding!. A community leader and business advocate, Mindy serves companies nationally, but is based in Jacksonville, Fl. Learn more at www.mindybarkerassociates.com.