masterwordsmith-unplugged

by Jeanne Hugoe-Matthews

Are you looking for a quick way to lift your mood and brighten your day? If so, keep reading to discover how you can instantly improve your quality of life and health—all without paying a cent. It's called laughter, nature's great healer.

Laughter Benefits

When we laugh, we:

• lower our blood pressure

• improve blood flow and oxygen / nutrient circulation around our bodies

• reduce pain

• reduce stress and counteract the effect of stress which would otherwise also suppress our immune systems

• support our immune systems

Quite apart from its physical benefits, laughter improves our mental states and quality of life. When we laugh, we shift our focus from the issues we're not so keen about, to what is going well in our lives. We also change our mood from stressed to happy.

In particular, laughter brings us into the moment. When we laugh, we practice joyful mindfulness, a state in which we can't also be sad, angry or stressed.

Laughter in Action

Humour need not be 'laugh out loud' funny, either. Instead, some things may keep us quietly amused for ages. In my case, these include the antics of a playful kitten or puppy.

Now, being able to laugh doesn't mean we have to stick our heads in the sand and pretend all is going well when it may not be. As I've discovered, a realistic appraisal of what's happening in my life is the first step to healing. This appraisal may involve periods of grief and frustration.

Nonetheless, as a very wise friend has demonstrated over the years, we can also laugh because we choose to focus on the best of what is occurring and the best that can occur. When we do this, we add silver linings to storm clouds. Laughter enables us to cope with life as it really is.

If you're not able to laugh for real, then laugh anyway. Our brains and nervous systems can't distinguish between laughter which is a result of a humorous situation, and decisions we make to say, 'Ha ha ha' over and over again with smiles on our faces.

Remember the old TV sitcoms complete with canned laughter? Sometimes we found ourselves laughing along and feeling happy, even though the shows weren't all that amusing. In other words, although we may laugh because we feel happy, we can also feel happy because we laugh.

Even expecting something to be funny lifts our mood. How often have you listened to a friend tell you a joke? I'll bet you start to smile well before the punch-line, simply because you know it's approaching.

Tips

Here are five things you can do to add more laughter to your day. Feel free to pick the ones that suit you and try them out:

• Look in the mirror and smile at yourself at least once every day, preferably more often.

• Stock up on funny videos, DVDs and books. Watch and read them regularly and laugh.

• Laugh or smile before you go to sleep to relax your mind and body for rest. Funny books or comic strips are good to read as well.

• Laugh to relax before you go into a potentially tense situation.

• When appropriate, smile at a stranger or share a laugh with someone else. That way, you can brighten someone else's day too.

Conclusion

Laughter is an easy and effective way to improve your quality of life. So, do yourself a favour. Take time to laugh, now, and brighten your day.
Author's Bio

Jeanne Hugoe-Matthews is an attorney, NLP Master Practitioner and Reiki Master Teacher. She has worked as a manager and adult trainer.

Through her website, http://OvercomeChronicFatigue.com, Jeanne answers to your most pressing questions about CFS, its symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options and self-management strategies.
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* If you would missed the 2009 Oscar Awards yesterday and would love to have some laughs, watch the following one-man opening act by Hugh Jackman (he's soooooo talented, gorgeous, handsome etc....*faint and melt*!!!!).

A columnist whom I admire, Joel Stein from TIME magazine, wrote this opening act together with three other dudes and you can read about it in page 58 of the Feb 23rd issue of TIME. Enjoy...