- 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 you mind be open to silly and uncensored thoughts.
- Amuse yourself by indulging in humorous exaggeration.
- 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.
- Finally, practice laughing at yourself. You just can't help becoming more accepting of your own shortcomings,
What common human activity relaxes 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.
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:
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.
Artwork is for display purposes only and does not necessarily reflect specific items. Not responsible for typographical errors.
