Laughter challenges you to see the positive in the bad, makes you feel good about yourself, and causes your body to release endorphins that feel wonderful. For the first time ever I'd like to offer a guide to how you can use laughter to help in your parenting. I have structured this series around two main ideas: Providing a safe and trusting environment. Expressing affection and affectionate attention.
Just thinking about going to the gym, training for an event, running a race, or just hearing a great joke can have a cleansing effect on the adrenal gland, and can improve concentration and reduce stress. So I feel that knowing the benefits of laughter is probably a big part of maintaining your good health. Having a sense of humor also plays a role in "growing" relationships. Finding funny people to talk to, or to whom to talk about our problems with, can make us feel happier and more satisfied in our relationships.
In order to laugh in the midst of stress and turmoil, you have to find a way to laugh at it, at it in, make a joke at it, or otherwise express what you find humorous about whatever is going on. If you can't laugh at your abuse, then you can't laugh at your relationship. Do you laugh at your job? Do you laugh at people in your life? Will you laugh if the next scenario presents itself? If not, you will only be shooting yourself in the foot, which makes you a much less effective firefighter and veterinarian.
To the point of almost losing it, the easiest place for a bad mood to arise in our culture is at the comedy club. A sense of relief, relief of stress, relief of pain--these are all equally important, and hilarious, to a well-heeled, comfortable-in-his-skin culture. Not everyone is comfortable in their skin, not everyone has a good laugh. We should be focusing more on building a healthier society that is more just, more equitable, more tolerant, and better able to recognize the value of laughter.
Good humor affords you a valuable perspective on whatever is troubling you and helps you focus and maintain a balanced state of mind. The truth is, negative thoughts have a way of getting in the way of our ability to focus on our future and accomplish what is most important for us. Here are some ways to replace negative thoughts with positive ones: Focus on what you have in your control. Take small steps at a time. Practice the simple expression of positive affirmations and phrases that can be activated in moments of stress or frustration.
Instead of laughing about some unfortunate event, laugh about something which makes you so proud. Give yourself permission to laugh. Instead of living your life fearing the worst or being too scared to open up to people you love, laugh at the fear. It's one of the most wonderful things you can do for your health, because it's so powerful. Laughter has the power to raise your mood from low to high, from manic to depressed and from day to night. See if you can find a few minutes of good laughter in your day today. You may even surprise yourself at the amount of energy you get back by doing so.