I posted this picture on facebook today. My dear friend Sue gave me this sign for Christmas the year my mother died. It is a huge visual reminder for me on a daily basis. I would go so far as to say it has helped me heal.
What is it about a good laugh that feels, well, so good?
According to research there are so many reasons why laughter is good for us! Here is a link to a great article telling of all the many benefits of laughter:
If you don’t hop over there, here are some quick benefits of Laughter:
helps your physical self by
strengthens our immune system
helps lower negative affects of stress
helps your emotional self by
easing stress levels
changing your mood
helps your social self by
strengthening relationships
building resilience
This article also gives some suggestions for ways to bring more laughter into your days.
My personal favorite has been to laugh at myself and invite others to join in. Just last night we were watching our favorite baseball team on tv. There was a camera shot of a couple of fans and one had made a sign, which read: Hit the ball here! The person had cut a hole out of the sign and had slipped their arm through and then put on their baseball glove. No big humor here. Except that when I first saw the man standing there with his gloved hand through the sign I wondered to myself
“How did he get that glove through that small hole?”
When I realized how ridiculous my first thought was I laughed out loud at my silliness. That laugh led to my true confession to my family which in turn triggered their own laughter. It was a great moment of the power of sharing a laugh.
Another benefit of laughing at oneself is humility. You can’t think you’re all that and a bag of potato chips when you stop taking yourself too seriously. They’re mutually exclusive.
Better health, better relationships, happy life. Who wouldn’t want to laugh?
What do you do to help build laughter into your days?