When is the last time you really laughed?
Do you seek out ways to get a laugh? Or are you just keeping it together, often feeling tired, perhaps distracted because of work pressures or home life load. Do you need to wind down before you’re in the mood to even think about anything remotely funny? How many of your team or people are in the same situation? How many of your clients (if you are a coach)?
The ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource.
Laughing is good for you, your resilience and your wellbeing!
Laughter stimulates the immune system and counteracts the effects of adverse stress reactions – when stress hormones hijack your brain and body.
It is a natural stress reducer – related to improved health, increased life expectancy, and overall wellbeing. Being able to get at this marvellous resource inside you needs a little nurturing.
Some Steps to laughter:
Here are the Resilience Dynamic’s steps to laughter, no matter your feelings. Give these easy steps a go for yourself.
And if you are a coach, give them a go with your clients, and as a leader, try this out with your people and teams:
- Decide you want to laugh more
No need to argue this one out. It’s good for you. And therefore it will be good in your service of others as a coach.
2. Decide you deserve it
You always do, no matter how much of an idiot you might have been. (And remember. Everyone else deserves to experience you the way you can be when you are fun and laughing.)
3. Seek out other people and situations that make you laugh – as often as you can
Go outside of yourself and seek the sunny people and stuff that exists all around. (Don’t expect that sitting in a room alone when feeling dismal will make the difference.) And if you can’t do that because of time or location constraints, remember a funny moment, several if you can, and bring them into you right now. You’ll find yourself at least giggling…
4. Laugh at stuff now!
Since laughter is a reaction to a current stimulus, it involves an acceptance of the present. When you laugh, you let go of thought and inhibition–which is why laughter is the most excellent medicine against negative stress.
You cannot laugh while your mind is preoccupied with stressful thoughts. Give power to the present moment, and be grateful for your life as it is now.
Have a laugh. Go and get some laughter for the sake of your resilience!
Author – Jenny Campbell – Follow her on LinkedIn
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