Do you find yourself seeing the negative in most situations? No matter where we are, the negative voice always seems to be louder than the positive one. Recently, I have been trying to see the joy in every day moments, even if they are difficult. This has freed me to laugh more and to find joy where it had been lost. Looking for the positive in a situation, no matter how small, makes a huge difference. Even when you are facing struggles, take a few minutes to laugh about something each day. You will find it easier to deal with your struggle if you take time for your own self-care, and laughter is a great self-care tool.
I encourage you to take time for yourself to engage in laughter and to reclaim what makes your heart sing. Research shows that laughter can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Laughter can also increase your pain tolerance and it even burns calories!
Identifying what makes your heart sing is another way to reclaim laughter. Are you listening to your body, to your mood, and identifying what makes your breath quicken or instills peace and joy? For me, dancing makes my heart sing. I love the freedom and the music and the movement. For others, it’s baking, hunting, roller-skating, reading, hiking, or snuggling a baby—-what makes you feel free? When did you last make time for this activity? Consider making a list of what brings a smile to your face and then find ways to incorporate these activities within the framework of your day, week, month, or year.
The Mayo Clinic Staff offers these tips for adding more laughter to your day:
• Make humor a priority. Seek out items that make you giggle and then place them in areas you will see them.
• Just laugh, and others will join in. Look for ways to laugh at your situation. Others will then follow suit. Try to see the positive and not the negative.
• Laugh with a friend. Be accountable with another person to share something that brings a smile to your face each day.
• Become child-like again. Pick up a joke book and let the snorts and guffaws follow.
• Set boundaries for inappropriate humor. Think twice before sharing humor that may be hurtful to others.
Laughter is contagious and helps to connect us with others. Lord Byron said, “always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine.” So, I will leave you with this video of laughing babies to start you on your journey to laughing more every day.
Written By: Jami Dellifield, Extension Educator Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University
Reviewed By: Misty Harmon, Extension Educator Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension
PhotoCredit: https://pixabay.com/photos/smile-joy-happy-good-mood-cheerful-1391004/
References:
Louie, D., Brook, K., & Frates, E. (2016). The Laughter Prescription: A Tool for Lifestyle Medicine. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 10(4), 262–267. doi:10.1177/1559827614550279 Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6125057/
Seppala, E.(2015), Seven ways laughter can improve your well-being, SCOPE published by Stanford Medicine. Available at: https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2015/04/09/seven-ways-laughter-can-improve-your-well-being/
Mayo Clinic Staff (2019), Stress relief from laughter? It’s no joke Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456
Scott, S. (2016) Why Is Laughter Contagious? Heard on TED Radio Hour Available at: https://www.npr.org/2016/03/04/468877928/why-is-laughter-contagious
Lord Byron, Available at: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/laughter
Laughing Babies Video, Available at: https://www.wimp.com/the-funniest-laughing-babies-compilation/
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