Is it time to have a good laugh?
Sometimes with all the seriousness of life and the trials and tribulations we tend to get stuck in the doldrums and routine. We tend to focus on the coming home, cooking dinner, getting the kids homework done, doing the household chores and then collapsing in front of the TV only to fall asleep. We tend to spend our weekends with housework and chauffeuring kids to sport and maybe even using Sundays for what we feel are obligatory visits to see family because if we didn’t go then we wouldn’t see them at all.
Yes, all of the above are important and it’s important to keep those extended family ties but all of the above sounds so miserable. When do we actually take the time out to ‘smell the roses’ so to speak, have a laugh and more importantly laugh at ourselves and the myriad of silly mistakes we all make in our lives?
Laughter is so important and we don’t do enough of it. When was the last time you were sober and in a silly mood and had a good laugh? I say sober because when we’ve all had a couple too many drinks many of us will laugh at anything and whilst it makes for light relief it’s not quite the same as having the ability to laugh at life itself. The kind of laugh that when you look back makes you smile at the silliness of what life presented to you. And many of the things we do in life are silly, in retrospect. If you are able to do this, instead of your blood pressure going up because you are upset, you are doing something good for your body.
At the time bad things are happening and incidents occurring we are in the thick of it. Our adrenaline could be pumping and we are in a bad mood and it was a horrible day and it’s like it’s never going to end. Take the scenario perhaps three weeks later when you look back and perhaps there is some glimmer of humour in it that can lighten your load.
Laughter is good for you. It is not being silly and not a distraction. It’s good to learn to laugh at home and at work and important to laugh with your colleagues. How much better to work in a happy environment? It would increase your creativity, problem solving, productivity and even your focus? The fact that there is a light atmosphere means there is less stress and staff physical and mental wellbeing increases, people take less sick days and are more effective at what they do and how they do it.
Laughter is something which comes easily to some of us and harder to others. Many people have lost their sense of humour over the years and become ‘sour’ due to the burden of life’s circumstances. It’s important to have ways to ‘chill out’ and to be able to grasp onto the lighter side of life. If you are having problems finding ways to do this then perhaps a couple of sessions with a therapist could give you the skills to unload some of those burdens and find the joy which you have buried deep within you.
If you think of joy as a ball on the beach and life’s burdens bundled on top of it like the waves bring the sand in when the tide comes in that is what happens to some of us. Our dreams and goals and those things that bring us joy get buried deeper and deeper under the sand and sometimes you wouldn’t even be able to find the ball with a shovel because it’s buried so deep and you don’t know where to look. However a good therapist will help you move some of that sand created by the circumstances of life and perhaps you will even find the ‘ball’ which is your centre of joy. All those dreams you had when you were younger which you may not even want in the same form anymore. A good therapist can help you transform those into something that would make you happier at whatever stage in life you are at and help open you up to different ways that can enhance your lifestyle. Maybe then it would be easier for you to smile…and perhaps even laugh.
On a physical level laughter is good for the body as it lowers the stress levels and raises immunity in terms of releasing ‘feel good’ hormones and chemicals which increase the body’s ability to fight disease and release unhealthy cells. While this is happening your energy levels are also increasing since as you are laughing you are in fact taking in more oxygen.
There is an understood communication with laughter which cuts across the barriers of culture and language and makes for a communication between people which in some way is innately understood. This forms bonds between the people involved which are healthy and positive. A nice healthy laugh is attractive, healthy and even sexy. What better way to communicate with a loved one and share the joy of living?
So let’s rejoice in the fact that summer is coming. So is Christmas and we will soon be thinking about holidays, friends, parties and sharing presents. Now is the time to lighten up and if you are having trouble doing this to go and seek out assistance from the many trained natural health professions who can teach you the tools to lighten your load and look at life in a ‘lighter’ perspective.
