“A Day Without Laughter Is A Day Wasted” Charlie Chaplin
It’s no joke! Laughter and play can become your super powers.
Are you all work and no play? Do you find that you’re woefully out of balance in the fun department. We’ll I’m hoping to encourage you to take a closer look at how you prioritize your work/life balance and how jollification, laughter and play are essential ingredients for a healthy, happy life.
First, let me get all science-y with you. When you laugh, you’re toning your Vagus nerve. Now, what happens in this Vagus you want to stay in the Vagus, because it means that you’ve been able to move from the sympathetic nervous system (fight,flight,freeze) to the parasympathetic nervous system (rest,restore,digest). Vagus nerve stimulation has been shown to improve conditions like:
- Heart disease
- Anxiety disorder
- Poor circulation
- Inflammation
- Cancer
I’m sure you’ve read stories about how people healed from some really scary stuff and they’ve credit their recovery in part to watching funny movies. They chose to surround themselves with things that uplifted them and added some humor in difficult times.
Here’s a few suggestions to help you lighten up:
Laughter therapy. In most cities, you’ll be able to find laughter coaches who are teaching laughter therapy. It’s an excellent was to reduce stress. You get a good workout for your muscles and it’s considered internal jogging. It releases a rush of stress-busting endorphins that feels like happy juice. Studies have shown that laughter can help fight negative thoughts, and with an increase of positive emotions, you begin to see a way out of difficult times.
Laughter Yoga. Laughter yoga was developed in 1995 by Dr. Madan Kataria, who formulated the practice on the idea that our bodies can’t tell the difference between real and fake laughter. In Laughter Yoga you learn to laugh for no reason, like you did when you where a kid. World Laughter Day, celebrated the first Sunday in May, was created by Dr. Kataria in 1998. Everyone is encouraged to set aside negativity and speak the universal language of laughter.
Play: How It Shapes The Brain, Opens The Imagination And Invigorates The Soul by Dr. Stuart Brown. I highly recommend this book. He speaks to the importance of play and that to play is to be human. It’s an integral part of physical, mental and emotional well being. You also get to discover your play personality. He’s established 8 personality types and their unique play characteristics. You’ll realize that you’ve already been playing in your own way. For example, one of the play personalities is the Explorer. Exploring the world, or new ideas or concepts are examples of the Explorer play personality. Does this sound like you?
Ok, I’m going to show my goofy side. I have an alter ego. Her name is Alberta Einstein. In this video, my son and I are goofing around during Halloween. I encourage you to allow your silly side to shine and Halloween is just around the corner giving you a great excuse to laugh and play. Watch the video Here!
Do you have a hard time loosening up? I’m here to help you. You can call me at 510-914-8245 or schedule a free discovery call by clicking this Link!
