Of all of the tools of communication humor seems to be the one used the least right now. Everyone and everything seem to be so serious these days. Well here is one for you. My dog used to chase people on a bike a lot. It got so bad I had to take his bike away.
Laughter is truly one of the best medicine, it’s free and doesn’t have any side effects.
“Laughter activates the body’s natural relaxation response. It’s like internal jogging, providing a good massage to all internal organs while also toning abdominal muscles,” says Dr. Gulshan Sethi head of cardiothoracic surgery at the Tucson Medical Center and faculty at the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrative Medicine.
Think about the last time you had a good laugh, or better yet take a minute and look up any funny video on YouTube then come back and read the rest of this. So what did you feel? Perhaps a warm sensation came over you with a tightness in the cheeks, or a flush feeling. Laughter can have multiple physiological effects and all of them seem to be beneficial. Some studies have shown stress reduction, boosting of our immune systems, combating depression, pain relief and increased resilience. Another side benefit is it seems to be something that can help to attract a prospective mate. While scientists are divided as to the reasons, it seems that we appear more attractive when we laugh.
So with us knowing the benefits, how do we make it a routine to seek out laughter. Here are a few ways to build it into your day.
1. Make humor a priority every morning, read something funny or watch a quick funny video
2. Look for opportunities to laugh at yourself and share the stories with friends to help relieve stress, and brighten the day.
3. Choose funny over serious when you are looking for entertainment.
4. If you enjoy Yoga look into Laughing Yoga.
By making laughter a priority in you life you can expect to enjoy a lighter outlook on even the most serious things, because you will start to see more the humor in them. Just remember as a rule not to laugh at other people’s expense, unless they also see the humor in the situation.
As always if like these posts you can see more of them @MindfulRhino.com