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What common human activity relaxes tense
muscles; reduces blood pressure and heart rate; exercises the muscles of the face,
diaphragm and abdomen; boosts the immune system; and causes the body to release
pain-fighting hormones? The answer: laughter. Sound impressive? And those are just the
physical benefits. Laughter also helps you get some emotional distance from a distressing
situation and see the humor in it. |
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Researchers have shown that laughter
increases relaxation. Muscle tension remains low for up to 45 minutes after a session of
vigorous laughter. Real belly laughter can relax the muscles more than a vigorous massage.
If you haven't exercised your humor muscles lately you may benefit from these tips on
getting them in shape: |
- Find things that make you laugh and
do them. See a funny movie, read a funny book memorize a joke and tell it to friends.
- * The next time you're in a
distressing situation, mentally put yourself in the shoes of your favorite comedian. Humor
depends on being able to see the humor where others only see aggravation. It's the
difference between tragedy and comedy.
- * Allow a feeling of playfulness to
creep into your life. Let your mind be open to silly and uncensored thoughts. What if
everyone came to work wearing Groucho Marx glasses and a fake moustache?
- * Amuse yourself by indulging in
humorous exaggeration. Stuck in traffic? Think of cobwebs forming between your car and the
next; continental drift passing you by, snails overtaking you on the shoulder.
- * Share cartoons, jokes and other
funny material at work. Put cartoons up on the bulletin board. By helping others reduce
stress you make your own job easier. And people will just be more relaxed around you if
they know you have a sense of humor.
- * Get in the habit of laughing at
life's contradictions. You can bet your Groucho Marx glasses you'll never run out of
material.
- * Finally, practice laughing at
yourself. You just can't help becoming more accepting of your own shortcomings, and that's
a sure-fire stress-buster.
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Keep It Light
People will feel safe and comfortable around you if they know you can laugh - but not if
you laugh at them. Humor that is cruel or sarcastic breeds a negative attitude in both the
humorist and the audience. Stay on the light side. Life is funny enough without resorting
to vicious humor.
Rx for Laughter
The next time you're looking for an easy way to relieve stress in your life, try a dose of
laughter. You can get it without a prescription. |
