Laughter

laughter

How was your Easter? Did you get together with family?  Friends?  Was it peaceful? Or, was it stressful?  If your Easter weekend wasn’t as it was planned or you found it stressful, how is the laughter meter in your home?  

A day without laughing is a day wasted… Charlie Chaplin

I love to laugh.  Hence, the title of my blog… Laughter and Luggage.  I am often writing about the adventures and travel we endure, but what about the importance of laughter?  My family and I laugh a lot.  We love to watch funny shows, ready funny stories, listen to quirky podcasts resulting in many belly laughs.  Laughter, for us, fills our soul.  (aside from God, that is).  

What is Laughter?

Laughter is a physiological response that involves rhythmic and involuntary action, and denotes merriment, happiness, or joy. 

Why is laughter important?

  • Stimulates your heart and lungs by enhancing your intake of oxygen
  • Relieves stress by decreasing cortisol
  • Stimulates circulation and muscle relation
  • Improve your immune system by releasing neuropeptides that fight off stress
  • Relieves pain by releasing your body’s natural painkillers
  • Improves your mood by increasing endorphins

We’ve all heard the saying that “laughter is the best medicine”.  Well, reading those 6 points above tells us that it is.  Laughter can keep you healthier and your mind more positive and clearer.  Did you know that 1 minute of laughing can burn the same amount of calories as up to 10 minutes on a treadmill?  

How to bring more laughter into your life?

  1. Be intentional.  Tell yourself to laugh more
  2. Start your day with a laugh – a heartfelt devotional or even a comic cartoon calendar can create a chuckle
  3. Smile more.  This will have a ripple effect into laughter. Smile at the sunshine outside, the funny saying on your coffee mug, the family picture on your wall.
  4. Start a fun family ritual.  We have a small bee (that came out of a Honeynut Cheerios cereal box) that we hide in places. It is a silly event, but each member of the household knows to search for it and once ‘Bee’ is found… it usually produces some laughter.
  5. Read a funny book or listen to a funny podcast.  Stuart McLean is a well-known storyteller.  His ability to tell a story about Dave and Morley and their wild or funny adventures will purposely cause you to laugh out loud. 
  6. Watch a funny or heartfelt show:  Ted Lasso, Family Ties, Modern Family, or Seinfeld
  7. Watch a comedy show – either in person or TV or even YouTube has a ton.  Some favourites of mine are: Sebastian Maniscalco, John Pinette, Jerry Seinfeld
  8. Have Date nights which incorporate fun – roller skating, ice skating, bowling, snowshoeing, amusement parks or even axe throwing or escape rooms (however the latter.. escape rooms… well – my family knows my serious intent in escaping and that I can get quite serious locked in a room trying to get out lol.)
  9. Have a family adventure – doing something fun as a family not only strengthens that family bond, but it also allows your children to see you as people – funny, normal, fun people who love to explore, play games and have fun.
  10. Laugh at yourself. We all make mistakes and it’s best to not take yourself too seriously when you do.  Be silly and see the funny side of things instead of being upset over a mishap.  

Today’s world has become so serious and the level of laughter and light heartedness has begun to dissipate.  Did you know that the USA makes up 6 % of the world’s population, but it takes 90% of the world’s total tranquilizers?  People are learning to just numb themselves instead of feeling.  When we were children – we laughed on average of 150 times/day.  As an adult that changes to around 3 times/day.  

Does that statistic scare you?  Make you sad?

It does for me and it should for you too.  A once joyful and happy nation has now been primarily numbed by a prescription.  

blah

No Feelings

Mind Numb

Blah

No Laughter


What about a laughter prescription?  

laughing bottle

When you laugh, the longevity hormones increase by 87%. That is the anti-aging and tranquilizer feeling hormones in our bodies. We need to follow this laughter prescription at least 75+ times/day in order for our mind and bodies to feel the effect.  

So, action steps – beginning today!

  • Wake up and smile
  • Purposedly search out a funny book to read or podcast to listen to
  • Laugh with a co-worker 
  • Laugh with your spouse
  • Laugh with your children
  • Smile at someone while running errands
  • Watch a comedy – and laugh
  • Go to bed – tell your spouse something you love about them and drift off to sleep… smiling.

I guarantee that after doing this each day for a month, it will be second nature and you will be more joyful, feel lighter in spirit, walk around with a smile on your face and other’s will notice some sort of change in you… a happier, lighter you.

So, go… Laugh, chuckle, snicker, and snort throughout your day today.  It will feed your soul.  

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