Stressful days can invite comic relief. Doctors realise that laughter can enhance physical and mental health. Now it seems even looking forward to laughter can be good for you.
It is easy for us to reason that if only we could have some more money, or a better job, a palatial mansion to live in, a brand new Mercedes… then we would be happy. But someone who had all the money anyone could wish for, billionaire J Paul Getty, famously stated that he would be willing to give away all of his fortune in return for one happy marriage.
Happiness economists generally agree that extra wealth does add to happiness for people living in poverty, but once we have a reasonable standard of living, additional wealth doesn’t equate with greater happiness.
The Christian principles of loving one another, being gentle, thankful, kind and forgiving are shown to be valid as keys to happiness. No wonder Jesus said “Now you know these things, happy are you if you do them
Many of the experts on happiness say that being happy is a choice; that it is a decision you make every morning, that today ‘I am going to be happy’. But how is it some people manage to have that inner contentment and others struggle to put a smile on their face? I have asked thousands of people what makes them happy or unhappy and have discovered certain repeating themes: People feel happy when they have a fulfilling relationship, a career they love, great health and energy and variety of interests.
Often those people have a positive attitude to life and they see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Here are seven keys which can help you experience more joy and happiness in your life.
1. Experts says a good laugh is good to our health can you please tell us how a good laugh benefits us.
- Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
- Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
- Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
2. So how do we go on to find a good laugh when everything is not going well.
- Count your blessings. Literally make a list. The simple act of considering the good things in your life will distance you from negative thoughts that are a barrier to humor and laughter. When you’re in a state of sadness, you have further to travel to get to humor and laughter.
- Smile. Smiling is the beginning of laughter. Like laughter, it’s contagious. Pioneers in “laugh therapy,” find it’s possible to laugh without even experiencing a funny event. The same holds for smiling. When you look at someone or see something even mildly pleasing, practice smiling.
- When you hear laughter, move toward it. Sometimes humor and laughter are private, a shared joke among a small group, but usually not. More often, people are very happy to share something funny because it gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and ask, “What’s funny?”
- Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh easily–both at themselves and at life’s absurdities–and who routinely find the humor in everyday events. Their playful point of view and laughter are contagious.
- Bring humor into conversations. Ask people, “What’s the funniest thing that happened to you today? This week? In your life?”
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