Seeing the funny side of things, whether you’re stuck in traffic when you’re already late or having a bad hair day when you bump into your ex, shows you don’t take yourself too seriously especially when things are beyond your control.
Well, it’s never too late to make a change, and you might as well start today on World Laughter Day.
Celebrated worldwide to raise awareness about laughter and its healing benefits, this annual event was created in 1998 by Dr Madan Kataria, the founder of the Worldwide Laugher Yoga Movement.
Laughter yoga is a series of laughing exercises that incorporate the deep breathing techniques of yoga that help flush one’s body and brain with oxygen. Those who practise laughter yoga often report feeling lighter, healthier and more energetic afterwards.
“Even if you just laugh for the sake of laughing or pretend, your body can’t differentiate real and fake laughter, hence you’ll still get the same health benefits,” Kataria said in one of his many videos on YouTube.
According to him, the benefits of practising laughter yoga are manifold, the most immediate being that it lifts your mood. “When your mood is good, everything you do will also feel good.”
“It’s a good social connector, as everyone will naturally gravitate towards a happy or smiley person. No one wants to sit with someone who’s grumpy all the time, do they?” Kataria said, adding that laughing helped hasten the process of connecting with people and fostering better relationships with them.
Kataria also said laughter was a great way to reduce stress and strengthen your immune system, which in turn would help lower your chances of falling sick.
Speaking to FMT, Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA) president Dr Andrew Mohanraj said laughter benefits people both mentally and physically.
Besides lightening one’s mood and reducing stress levels, laughter can physically lower one’s blood pressure, improve one’s heart’s health, boost one’s oxygen intake and even relieve pain to a certain extent.
Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemical. In short, laughter is a powerful tool to improve one’s overall health and well-being, particularly during bad times. According to Andrew, it is at times like these, that you must actively help yourself with a good dose of laughter.
“Seek out opportunities for laughter actively, like watch a funny show, read a humorous book or spend time with a loved one who never fails to make you laugh,” he suggested.
He said it was helpful to cultivate a sense of humour and learn to laugh at yourself, as well as the absurdities of life.
“Practise mindfulness and be present in the moment. Allow yourself to fully experience and appreciate the small joys and pleasures of everyday life.”
For today, practise laughing. Even if you feel foolish, stick with it for at least one minute. Soon you’ll be laughing your head off for no particular reason at all.
“It’s good to celebrate World Laughter Day each year, to remind ourselves of the power of laughter, to feel happy and content with what life has to offer,” Andrew said.
To end the article, how about a joke? Here goes: What kind of ghost has the best hearing?
Answer: the eeriest!