Lifestyle-Guru.com

What do you do when your life starts to seem boring and difficult? Everyone has those days, you know what I’m talking about, days that you wake up and something doesn’t feel right. You dread the thought of getting out of bed, let alone facing the world. On these kind of days you need to kick-start positive thoughts. And one of the best medicines is laughter.

The Benefits of a Good Laugh:

There are a number of well-documented benefits of having a good laugh. Medical researchers have shown that laughter releases natural pain-killing endorphins into your bloodstream and that it may boost your immune system and prevent disease. It will relax your muscles and can induce mild forms of euphoria. Laughter can even be thought of as a form of exercise that massages all parts of your body.

Emotionally speaking, laughter can be so potent that it will dissolve hosts of negative emotions. Anger, depression, malaise, sadness, grief, stress, and anxiety can all be wiped out with a steady dose of hearty laughter.

Laughter will also build up your own self-confidence put your life into perspective. When you are able to laugh off those dumb mistakes in life, you will find that you won’t be so worried about what other people think of you. Those big problems in your life suddenly don’t seem so big after you’ve had a good laugh. Having a good laugh ensures that those little troubles that pop up in life don’t sour your mood.

Laughter will help you rise to any challenge, accept unexpected changes and get out of difficult situations with a smile. You’ll never be embarrassed by the unfortunate situations that life throws at you if you can laugh at them and turn them into funny stories that you can tell your friends. So don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself when you spill mustard on your shirt or forget to zip up your pants (or gobble down a mouthful of wasabi not knowing what it is the first time that you eat sushi).

If you wear your sense of humor on your sleeve, you’ll also find that you’ll build up the strength of your relationships and your sense of community. Nobody likes a grumpy Gus. Everyone loves someone who can make them laugh and feel at ease. By sharing your laughter with others you will attract positive energy from those around you, making your life that much happier. Remember that attitudes are contagious… is yours worth catching?

(Re) Learning to Laugh

Okay Guru, you’ve convinced me, laughter is good. So how do I build up my sense of humor? Here are some tips that might help:

1. Keep a journal of funny situations: Get a small journal or a tape recorder and carry it around with you. Whenever you see or hear something funny or think of something that makes you chuckle, write it down. Camera phones are great for documenting the funny scenes that you encounter in life. Whenever you get down, take out your journal and read a few passages to cheer yourself up.

2. Get a pet: If you’ve never had a pet you don’t know what you’re missing. They give you lots of unconditional love and ask for very little in return. Even when they get in trouble, their innocence will inevitably get you to laugh. I have one very curious and active cat and wouldn’t trade my memories of her exploits for anything. If you already have a pet, resolve to spend some quality time with them. Get out and play some frisbee with your dog. Give your cat some yarn and catnip and watch the magic happen.

3. Start being a kid again: Researchers have found that the average kindergartner laughs about 300 times a day. The average adult laughs about 15 times. So don’t be a Groan-up! Don’t be someone who sees the negatives in everything. Instead take some time out from your life to be silly and juvenile. Play a video game, get some friends together for a board game or a pick-up basketball game. If you have young kids, get active and play with them.

4. Watch a funny movie: Or go out and see some stand-up comedy. Or surf You-Tube for a hour watching funny things. When you do it, try to figure out what kind of humor you like best. Are you a fan of slapstick or one-liners? Do you like witty British comedy or are you a die-hard romantic comedy buff? Seek out the forms of entertainment that make you laugh and share them with your friends and family. Forget about work and being productive. If you take time-outs to laugh you will be more focused and efficient when you do work, and a whole lot happier.

5. Learn to tell a joke: Preferably not one that comes at the expense of another person. And then practice it in front of a mirror. Figure out the timing, the dramatic pauses and when to make the subtle inflexions in your voice. If the joke is long, make sure to memorize each important detail so that it comes out without hitches. Now you don’t have to be a constant joker, but being able to lighten the mood of those around you is a priceless quality.