Did you know that laughing can physically make you feel better and help you heal faster? Laughter relieves stress, improves your oxygen intake, and can strengthen your immune system. And if laughter did not have any of these benefits, it still puts you in a good mood because laughter is the best medicine.
There are some people, however, who find it difficult to laugh. They feel awkward when they laugh, they don’t know how to laugh, and they are scared that people will laugh at them when they laugh!
If, perhaps, you are having a hard time laughing, just start to smile for a while. Even if you fake a smile, you can still trick your body into feeling a little bit better. When you are feeling happier, it is easier to get yourself to laugh a little! Challenge yourself to smile at the people you pass in the grocery store. Try and smile at the people in the next car while you wait at the traffic light. And if the smile still eludes you, make a list of the things that you can be grateful for – there must be something on that list that will get you to smile even just a little.!
The way you laugh is unique to you. It is one of the things that makes you special. Don’t hold back on your giggles because you are self-conscious about how you laugh. Just make sure you laugh for the right reason! It is a curious thing, but the harder you laugh, the more likely it is that other people will start laughing with you!
If you really struggle with laughing try to laugh as realistically as you can when you are alone at home or driving alone in your car. If you can manage to make yourself laugh – even for no reason at all, you may find yourself giggling all to yourself in no time!
To get yourself to laugh, start with 3 short “ha” sounds – “ha ha ha!”, Even though this may feel forced and awkward, do this several times in a row. You will be surprised at how quickly these forced “ha ha ha’s” can change into a legitimate, and very satisfying, case of the giggles. Think about something you find funny while you practice your laughing.
Why is laughing no laughing matter? Well, here are some real health benefits of laughter:
- It lowers your blood pressure
- It reduces your stress levels
- It works your stomach muscles
- It makes your heart stronger
- It triggers the release of endorphins – the feel-good hormones!
Laughing a lot is not a laughing matter, says Lola, the girl who laughs out loud!