When was the last time you laughed?
I try to make sure that not a day goes by without laughter in my life. I love that feeling of sore cheek and tummy muscles after laughing so hard it hurts. My daily laughter is not always this grand but l try to enjoy a giggle, either on my own or shared with others (that’s the best). You could ask a few friends of mine what makes me laugh and l know without hesitation they would say it’s when someone, unfortunately, trips or falls. I know it sounds terrible that at one of the rawest and embarrassing moments in life (even worse when in front of a crowd) l have a laugh. Without a doubt, we have all been in that moment where we feel totally exposed and embarrassed and you know what, that’s why l laugh. I try not to, but l just can’t help it; we all do it and we really shouldn’t take it so seriously.
Laughter helps us cope and survive. It’s a natural way to reduce stress and it benefits our overall wellbeing. Life will always have drama but having the ability to see the humor in life has a positive effect on how we cope. Research shows that laughter stimulates the immune system and counteracts the effects of stress hormones which in turn helps us to relax.
If someone asked me which Hollywood star l could relate to l would say, Jennifer Lawrence, even though she is much younger than me, she has spunk. The thing is you could also put me in a stunning dress looking and feeling a million bucks and l too would most likely fall flat on my face in front of everyone. Even though l would feel the blood burning inside me and my face would most likely turn a very deep shade of ‘beetroot red’ and let’s not dismiss how humiliated l would feel; l would choose to acknowledge my stumble in all its glory and maybe even give everyone a quick curtsy. There are of course other ways l could deal with it, but l choose not to let it dampen my spirit. You know what? l CAN have a laugh at myself, so why not embrace it.
So, how can you bring laughter into your life? There are laughing groups you could attend; the idea may seem a little weird, but they say once you start you can’t stop. Other ways might be to watch a funny movie, attend a comedy show, or just share a laugh with someone. There are hundreds of videos on YouTube of people falling over so why not check them out.
This post originally appeared on www.jowhitewellbeing.com.au and it has been published here with permission.
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