By:  David Othus

 

“A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.”  ~Proverbs 17:22

A friend gave me this story:  “My grandfather used to travel to Jamaica a lot when I was growing up.  He told me that in Jamaica there is a saying that goes “tek bad things mek laugh”.  This simply means that when negative things arise, you should laugh about it. This is not to say that the problems you may face is by any means “funny”, it is just about finding the positive in something negative. For instance, your son may have broken his arm, but he looked real cute trying to score that touchdown didn’t he? And that was possibly the worst analogy in history but you get the idea! Humor changes your outlook on life.”

We often tend to underestimate the power of a healthy sense of humor; laughter is indeed the best medicine. According to Nichole Force, evidence suggests that laughter has been proven to reduce stress, boost the immune system and enhance brain chemistry through the release of serotonin and endorphins. Endorphins block pain perception; they produce a feeling of euphoria and calmness in response to pain or physical exertion while Serotonin affects your mood, sleep patterns and appetite and together, these hormones put you on a natural high. Your body releases these hormones when you find humor in something so instead of stocking up on hundreds of dollars of antidepressants, watch a funny movie or do something fun instead of losing yourself in a tub of ice cream when your lover rejects you or you are laid off from your job.

I often tell stories in my posts to help you see that what I am telling you will actually work because I have seen it or it has happened to me. I tend to have a very good sense of humor, I find jokes in almost every “serious” situation and this annoys my friends to the core because they think I take nothing seriously. I will be the one laughing at an unfortunate event instead of engaging a colorful use of expletives; but what I’ve realized about myself is that, because I find humor in everything, I am hardly ever stressed out, I think more clearly and I arrive at a solution fairly quickly as well.

I read once that Angels fly because they take themselves lightly; I say this to say that humor changes your perspective on life in general. It teaches us to not view something negative as a threat; rather, it gives us a lighthearted perspective and allows us to see negative things as more of a challenge so we in turn will approach the situation differently and more positively. A more humorous outlook creates psychological distance which is the power of abstract thought, and this helps us to avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed.

More than just changing perspective and mental health benefits, humor actually comes with a lot of physical health and social benefits as well.

  • Improves immunity
  • Reduces stress hormones
  • Lessens pain
  • Relaxes muscles
  • Prevents heart disease
  • Strengthens relationships
  • Makes us more attractive
  • Encourages teamwork
  • Promotes bonding
  • Reduces hostility
  • Deflects criticism
  • Improves morale
  • Helps us to communicate difficult messages

And the list could go on and on.

Many of us think that our lives are boring; you fall into the same routine every day. You get up every morning, rush to your car, rush into the traffic just to watch a screen for 8 hours a day, but there are many small things you can do to introduce more humor into your daily life and you will find that your routine becomes that more interesting.

  1. Smile – a smile is essentially the initiation of laughter. Much like laughter, a smile is contagious. Studies in Laugh Therapy show that it is indeed possible to smile without experiencing something funny; my reflex to a bad situation is a smile.
  2. Instead of stressing about what you do not have, count your blessings. Write a list of what you do have and be thankful; the glass is never half empty.
  3. Gravitate towards laughter. If you’re in the workplace and someone is publicly sharing a joke, take part, listen, this strengthens work relationships.
  4. Surround yourself with fun people; people who enjoy what you enjoy. Spend time with your best friend or people who find humor is the worst of times, this is contagious.
  5. Get a pet – many of us underestimate the great joy that a pet can bring to your life. At the end of a horrible day you’ll come home to a pet that you can play with and who appreciates you. Studies show that having pets can reduce the risk of depression and stress.
  6. Laugh at yourself! Don’t be afraid to share your embarrassing moments. I always say, if you laugh at yourself first, when others laugh at you it won’t feel so bad.
  7. Instead of bawling and asking “Why me?!” laugh at the irony that this would happen to you out of the millions of other people in the world. What are the odds right?
  8. Don’t be afraid to post sticky-notes all around you. In your car, on your desk, on your computer or even your bathroom mirror. Post reminders to lighten up! Hang photos of you, your friends or your family having fun. Remind yourself of moments which you enjoyed.

Understand that many things in life are beyond our control, so why waste time sulking about them? Laugh about it, sleep on it then wake up and deal with it. I stated in one of my previous posts that children have something we lost along the way, they have the gift of seeing things as it was made to be, perfect; we should emulate them, play, laugh and take life more lightly because the world around us is hard enough. And I close by saying this again “tek bad things mek laugh” and you will be surprised how much differently the world will look to you. Respect!

 

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