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E-Quipped to…Laugh More, Live Longer

This newsletter introduces “ Love to Laugh, Laugh to Live,” a comprehensive article found on my website.

When did you last have a really good, long laugh? When did something last strike you as so funny it “had you in hysterics?” As adults today, we don’t laugh nearly enough. This is not healthy – physically, or psychologically.

It seems that there really is more than a little truth in the old adage “laughter is the best medicine.” Scientific studies around the world are continuing to provethat, apart from making us feel good, laughing actually does us good as well – and can actually significantly increase our life span. Pre-school children laugh or smile between 300 and 400 times a day. By the age of 35, this drops to about 18 times. It’s high time we did something about this sad state of affairs.

Read “ Love to Laugh, Laugh to Live,”

What is Laughter?

Laughter is the physiological response to humour. It consists of two parts – gestures and sounds – and when we laugh, our brain pressures us to perform both these things at once. The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines laughter as “rhythmic, vocalised, expiratory and involuntary actions.” It is regulated by the brain, and is considered a visual and audible expression of one of several emotional states – joy and happiness being the most common.

Why do we Laugh? 

Some experts believe that the first human laughter may have begun as a gesture of shared relief at the passing of danger. And because laughter relaxes us, thus inhibiting our natural fight-or-flight response, laughter may indicate trust in our companions.

Many researchers also believe that the purpose of laughter is related to making and strengthening human connections. Laughter occurs when people are comfortable with each other. And the more laughter there is, the more bonding there is within the group.

And have you ever noticed how everyone in the office laughs when the boss laughs? Studies have found that people in leadership positions often use humour and laughter more than their subordinates, because controlling the laughter of a group – and thus the emotional climate of the group - becomes a way of exercising power.

What are the Benefits of Laughter?

Physical Benefits:

• Laughter relieves tension and stress, and can relax your muscles for up to 45 minutes.

• Laughter boosts our immune system by reducing the levels of stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline and dopamine and triggering the release of endorphins - our “feel-good” hormones – giving us an overall sense of well-being, and can even relieve pain in the short-term.

• Laughter is good for your heart – it improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow. This helps to protect against heart attacks and other cardio-vascular problems.

Many more ways in which laughter is good for us can be found in my full article. Click here.

Psychological Benefits:

• It’s virtually impossible to feel anxious, angry or sad when you’re laughing.

• Laughter increases energy levels, allowing you to get more done. This in turn gives you a sense of achievement.

• There is a growing trend among mental health professionals to recommend "laughter therapy," which teaches people how to laugh openly at things that they don’t usually find funny, and to cope in difficult situations by using humour.

Negative emotions, when bottled up inside us, can cause biochemical changes that can affect our bodies. Laughter allows these emotions to be harmlessly released.What can we do to Laugh more?

• Look for the humour in a bad situation – finding the irony and appreciating the absurdity of life improves your mood, and the mood of those around you.

• Surround yourself with funny stuff - keep a toy on your desk or in your car. Put up a funny poster in your office, and stick amusing magnets on your fridge. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh.

• Keep things in perspective - many things in life are beyond our control – let them go.

• Make friends with people who are fun to be with – then be with them every chance you get.

• Develop your own sense of humour. Try taking a course to help you communicate better and be a better joke-teller at that next party. Be funny every chance you get - as long as it's not at someone else's expense!

• Hang out with small children

What do you do to inject more humour and laughter into your day? I would love to hear your stories.

Have Something to say?

If you have a personal story illustrating how injecting more laughter and humour into your life has changed your outlook and general well-being, please share it with us. 

What's Next?

Watch out for my next newsletter where you will be
E-Quipped to...Give Corporal Punishment a Permanent Time-Out.

Tip! Save these newsletters and accumulate the series on Build Better Relationships.

Regards

More About Me

My goal is to inspire you to make the changes necessary to live the life of your dreams! I believe that by developing your YOU-Q - the term I have created to describe your unique intelligence, creativity and wisdom – you can find your Inner winner and live a Be-YOU-tiful life right now. On my website you'll find more ideas to get you thinking about life, love, work and other important STUFF - all based on my work as a practicing psychologist, speaker, trainer and life coach (and hat lover!)

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