Laughter: Why tickling your funny bone is good for you.

 Laughter: Why tickling your funny bone is good for you. 

 

“Laughter is to life what shock absorbers are to automobiles. It won’t take the potholes out of the road, but it sure makes the ride smoother.” (Anonymous)

 

I love a good laugh and enjoy being around humorous people. My dad was always making wisecracks, which never failed to make people smile. Laughter works wonders to uplift my mood and helps me forget my woes for a while. I often return to comedy when I’m feeling low and out of sorts. 

 

Laughter is the best medicine. Be it a spontaneous outburst, girlish giggle, or loud guffaw, laughter transcends cultural boundaries and social strata. Laughter isn’t just a reaction to something funny; it has the power to heal, transform, and connect. 

How laughter works: 

When we laugh, our bodies undergo a series of positive changes. As it releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins, stress hormones like cortisol decrease. Laughter relaxes muscles, improves blood flow, and brings a little lightheartedness in the darkest of times. 

 

Laughter therapy: 

Laughter therapy, also known as humor therapy, helps people manage stress, depression, and trauma. The practice of ‘Laughter Yoga’ combines intentional laughter with deep breathing. The 'fake’ laughter may not appeal to some, but people report feeling relaxed and energized after a session of laughter yoga. 

Incorporate humor and laughter into your life. 

• Watch or read something funny. Follow humorous accounts on social media. 

• Surround yourself with cheerful people and those who love a good joke. 

• Permit yourself to be goofy once in a while. 

• Laugh at yourself. Embrace your flaws and quirks. 

• Incorporate humor into your daily life. Embrace the absurdities and unexpected events of daily living. Stay light-hearted and don’t take life too seriously. 

• Spend time with pets and kids. Kids are my favorite people. I love watching Little Big Shots. The antics of kids and pets are sure to tickle your funny bone. 

 

What is your favorite brand of humor? 

 

• Slapstick comedy: Physical comedy centered around awkward situations and physical actions. Think Charlie Chaplin, Mr. Bean, and cartoons. 

• Satire: A witty or critical commentary on societal norms, politics, or current events. Think Yes, Minister, The late Jaspal Bhatti's "Flop Show", the film "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro." 

• Puns: A clever and witty play on words within a sentence used to convey another meaning. 

(She had a photographic memory, but she didn’t develop it.) 

• Dry humor: Humor delivered with a straight, expressionless face. Dry humor is usually ironic, sarcastic, or blunt. 

• Self–deprecation: Making fun of your quirks and habits in a light-hearted way. 

• Dark humor: Looking at serious and taboo subjects humorously. Dark humor may be offensive and may not appeal to some. 

• Impromptu: Think Kapil Sharma. Impromptu humor demands the presence of mind and wit. It is spontaneous and non-rehearsed. 

• Cultural humor: It revolves around the quirks and stereotypes of a particular community. 

 

Life can be quite stressful and overwhelming. However, take time out for your daily dose of humor. Laughter doesn’t erase stress but helps us deal with it better. Live, love, and laugh. 

 

Two of my favourite accounts: 

@docanilabe 

@aiyyoshraddha 

#I'm participating in BlogchatterA2Z

Image credit : Pixabay 

 

#BlogchatterA2Z challenge2023

 Laugh your blues away...

And so it is said that laughter is the best medicine. At the end of a day filled with routine and mundane tasks, I simply put my feet up and tune into my favourite comedy shows. Mundane day or no, I enjoy a good laugh, giggle or guffaw. Good humour lifts my spirits and puts me in a good mood. I like being around people with a good sense of humour. 

So what is it about laughter that makes it the best medicine? Lord Byron said,   "Always laugh when you can, It is cheap medicine." Laughter may not cure your ailments, as the medication will but it is a great stress buster, improving your cardiovascular health, releasing endorphins and lowering blood pressure. "Laughter is the tonic, the release, the surcease for pain," says Charli Chaplin,  the man who has made generations laugh. Renowned author and political journalist Norman Cousins, who was afflicted with a dreadful disease used laughter to combat the sickness and Chronicled the journey in his book, "Anatomy of the Illness as Perceived by the Patient."

"I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anaesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep," he reported. "When the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would switch on the motion picture projector again and not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free interval."^[14] His struggle with that illness and his discovery of laugh therapy^[15] is detailed in his 1979 book Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient.^[13]

• Find humour in your everyday situations or embarrassing😆situations and learn to laugh about them. It may be difficult at first but then you find your stress slowly fading away.  
• Keep a good stock of funny movies, cartoons, books and jokes for down-in-the-dump days. Watch humorous podcasts or join a comedy club. 😝
• Try and be around people who make you laugh and share funny stories and jokes. 😆
• It is rude and hurtful to laugh at the expense of others. Use your judgment to discern a good joke from a bad one. 😆
• Give Laughter Yoga a shot. 😆

“Laughter connects you with people. It’s almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy when you’re just howling with laughter.”
― John Cleese

This post is part of the BlogchatterA2Z 2023 challenge.