Masterful Mindsets ~ Laugh Daily
“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” ~ E E Cummings
Question:
Is laughter a regular part of your life? When was the last time you laughed so hard it brought tears to your eyes? When was the last time you laughed so long it made your stomach muscles hurt? Do you laugh at least a little every day?
Action Challenge:
Recently my family and I went on a little day trip to have some fun. Nothing too elaborate really… but it included lunch at a fondue restaurant. If you’re not familiar with what that is, they have cooktops in your table and you cook your own meal by dipping the food into the hot boiling liquid in the pot on your cooktop. It’s actually quite fun and we thought it’d be a neat experience for our girls.
We had a fabulous four-course meal that started with a cheese fondue appetizer and ended in chocolate fondue heaven! But do you want to know what the best part of the whole experience was?
It was the laughter and fun we had! I don’t need to tell you that a four-course meal where you cook the food yourself takes time to experience. We sat and enjoyed not only the food (which was amazing) but also our time together for about two hours. I will admit, it’s probably a good thing we were there at an off time because this otherwise quite fancy restaurant might have asked us to leave as loud as we were laughing at times.
We left the restaurant feeling so satisfied… but it wasn’t just the food that created that feeling… it was a feeling of happiness and joy that the endorphins we surely released from all the laughter created. Laughter makes you feel good!
The Mayo Clinic calls laughter some of the world’s best medicine. Physical benefits include improved blood flow to internal organs, enhancing oxygenation, and lowering blood pressure. The improved blood flow also helps muscles and joints, which coupled with the feel-good chemicals called endorphins, can sooth tension and minimize pain.
Laughter also tends to increase positive thoughts which are believed to cause the release of neuropeptides; causing a decrease in stress hormones and an increase in immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
Mentally, laughter can almost instantly improve your mood. It’s hard to feel angry, sad, fearful or anxious while you are laughing. Again, those endorphins play a role here since they enhance your emotional balance and overall sense of happiness. Laughter and humor help you shift your perspective and can often allow you to reframe negative situations or see the silver lining in any experience.
Laughter brakes down barriers and builds up relationships. Laughing together creates a positive emotional connection. Let’s face it… laughter may not be listed as a basic need but in my book… if you want to live a life worth living – you’ve got to have laughter in your life. As a matter of fact, I’d say you could think of laughter like you think of water. Take it in all throughout each day and let its natural effects replenish your body and soul.
My action challenge to you is to laugh! Seriously, don’t waste another day! Laugh out loud… a good belly laugh or the kind that makes you laugh so hard you cry. Those are the best! Put laughter into your life every day, all throughout the day and notice how quickly it lifts you up both physically and mentally.
Not sure how to get the giggles going? Here are a few suggestions:
Watch a 30 Minute Sitcom – Hello Netflex! Search for “comedy” and start a new series.- Read Something Funny – Try a Humorous Memoir or if you’re short on time, then just open up a good Joke Book
- A Night Out – Go to a Comedy Club or opt for a comedy movie
- Family Night – Play a fun game (think “Mouthgaurd Challenge“) or have a tickle fest with your children.
- Exercise – Heard of Laughter Yoga? (I just saw this poster at my local library.) ——–>>>>>
- Daily – Smile, tell jokes, laugh at yourself (yep, those embarrassing moments make great stories), be playful and hey, don’t take life so seriously all the time… look for opportunities to laugh.
***I want to hear from you… What are some ways you sneak laughter and joy into your day?