I recently returned from a trip to Regensburg, that I made for a dear friend’s wedding, and boy did it pull me out of a funk I was buried in for the last few months.
Was it because of the beautiful landscapes, the wonderfully warm-hearted, welcoming people and the blissful sunshine? For sure! But the thing I will always remember most about this trip was how much we laughed; and with the majority being people I had only met a few hours prior. A lot of the time it was simply immense laughter over the littlest of things – not at the expense of anyone else, not awkward or embarrassed laughter, just pure and utter joy.
Laughter helps bring you into the present moment.
Laughter can be a form of mindfulness in action, without us even realising. It can help us focus on the joy and uniqueness of the present moment, without judgment.
Personally, this enjoyable time away made me realise that worrying and stressing about things back home didn't actually affect the outcome of anything going on back home; it only robbed me of my peace and enjoyment of what was occurring right in front of me.
A genuine, hearty laugh demands our full attention and therefore it pulls us away from the 785 others things going on in our brains that are causing us to stress and worry. In essence, laughter is like a reset button for the mind. It interrupts habitual thought patterns and invites us to experience the moment fully.
Laughter really can enhance your core muscles.
Forget all the cycling we did – I swear my core muscles had the biggest workout! You know how sometimes you laugh so hard that your stomach muscles ache? Well, when you have a good ole’ belly-laugh, your abdominal muscles actually contract rhythmically. These contractions can help tone and strengthen your core.
Not only this, but did you know laughter can boost blood circulation, including to the abdominal area? Which in turn can enhance muscle recovery and muscle growth.
Even in the most stressful times, laughter can help you realise, it’s really not the end of the world.
I'm not a chill traveller. At all. So imagine what was going through my head, come the end of my glorious, stress-free, Seizing-the-Daydream trip, when, not only did one of us misplace our passports, but my train to the airport was delayed by over 40 minutes!! Yet somehow, there was no room to feel sick in the pit of my stomach because we were too busy laughing at the absurdity of the situation at hand. Okay, I stressed a little, but was promptly calmed down by multiple ice-creams and giant rainbow sunglasses. There was no time to cry, because my friends were making me laugh, just from being themselves and reminding me to ride the wave, just as we had done all weekend. And indeed, everything had a way of working itself out.
We all know how stress can build up like a pressure cooker. Laughter can act as a release valve, allowing pent-up negative emotions to escape. Not only this, but laughter can help us step back from a situation and view it from a different angle. It can often reveal the absurdity or irony of a stressful circumstance, which in turn can shrink the perceived severity of the situation.
By demonstrating that we can find humour even in our most difficult times, we can foster a resilience that helps remind us that we can get through the challenges we’re faced with and emerge stronger.
Laughter helps us go with the flow, rather than trying to resist it.
Resisting challenges can be incredibly stressful. Laughter helps to release such tension, allowing us to approach situations with a clearer mind and a more open heart. Laughter can often disrupt negative emotional patterns, therefore shifting our emotional state. This creates a mental space for fresh perspectives and present-moment awareness.
In essence, laughter helps us move from a place of rigidity to one of fluidity. It allows us to ride the waves of life rather than being overwhelmed by them.
Laughter really is contagious.
I feel like I’ve often had to stifle my laughter or be conscious to “behave appropriately” when out in public (whatever that means!) But honestly, all that went out of the window when with my friends in Regensburg. Not once did we get odd looks, or were made to feel uncomfortable; instead we noticed people laughing along with us. It was like a chain reaction everywhere we went!
It’s true what they say – laughter really is contagious. When we hear someone laugh, our mirror neurones activate, mimicking the facial expressions and physical sensations associated with laughter. In fact, our brains are wired to pick-up on and respond to the emotions of those around us. When we witness a positive emotion such as laughter, our brains tend to follow suit.
Laughter is the language of the soul.
So, whether you think you look silly when you laugh, you’re going to irritate the people around you, or you think you sound like a chicken – just give in to it, man! You might just be adding a little bit of well-needed joy to someone’s day.
The legendary Louis Armstrong said it best: ‘when you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you’…
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