When was the last time you held your stomach because you were laughing SO hard? Just the thought of watching an “I Love Lucy” re-run or one of Dave Chappelle’s lost episodes for the third time can very possibly put most worries on hold, even if for a brief time.  Laughter is infectious; we all know the amazing feeling of losing yourself in the energy of laughter. But could laughter be the key to happiness? People have started to harness this and create laughter workshops, where you go to laugh, even if it starts out as a forced laugh, the endorphins and benefits still affect your body and mood.

Research has shown the health benefits of laughter are far-reaching, studies have shown that laughter can help pain relief through the releasing of endorphins, increase the immune system, decrease stress, change the “negative” chemicals in the mind, ease conflict, lighten burdens, inspire hope, connect you to others and generally just make you feel better, more energetic and happier, bringing your body and mind back into balance.

“Your sense of humour is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.” Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.

This may all seem a bit far-fetched, can laughing really help you to feel better? We know the benefits of exercise and how that helps us to reduce stress hormones. It helps our bodies to feel more energetic; it clears our minds and allows us to have clear focus again. So can laughter do the same thing? If we build laughter into our day just as we do with exercise we can increase our happiness. Laughter is an incredibly strong medicine for mind and body – it is free, convenient and beneficial in so many ways.

 So how do you get more laughter in your life?

 We can find laughter in so many ways, maybe for you it is laughing with friends, going to comedy clubs, watching funny movies or videos on-line, joining a laughter workshop, or listening to a crazy song.

Or if all else fails and you really need to improve how you’re feeling, get your own laughter “roll” started.  Smile, pull something humorous out of your funny memory bank, and begin to chuckle, then give yourself permission to just LAUGH. Watch how this can improve your mood.

If you tend to take yourself too seriously, this simple approach can help you look at the world from a different perspective and see a funnier side of life. It is way too easy to allow life to feel like a heavy weight on our shoulders. When we lighten up and allow ourselves the freedom to let go, laugh, the bright side of life reveals itself.

 Much Love and Life Harmony, Linda

 

#laughter, #freedom #joy #harmony