What happens to our body when we laugh? From a physiological perspective, laughter – as Sigmund Freud says – is a mental sneeze that frees our mind. A joke can release the energy that we use to control our fears and worries. The relief and the relaxation that follows produces pleasure.
The communicative and social value of laughter is also shown in the organs that are involved in laughter. We always laugh with our mouth wide open, emitting air thanks to exhalation. Crying, on the other hand, is made up of a series of in-drawn breaths that are continuously interrupted by sudden contractions of the diaphragm. Thus, laughter is a sort of extroversion of the libido, while crying represents introversion.
We can theorize that laughter as a pleasure mechanism, and the tears that follow too much laughter, are a repetition of pleasure and suffering experienced at birth. When we laugh we feel good, we experience an amazing energy, we bring lightness in what we are and in what we do and we attend to our daily tasks with ease and with great results.
The benefits of having more energy in our life are many. Some of them are related to learning and memory. Humor has an anxiety-releasing effect that allows to improve our performance at all levels. The benefits of laughter are amazing when related to teaching and learning, at school, at work, with our community and with our family. Researches show that the use of humor optimizes learning, memory and creativity.
Good humor and laughter can
. reduce anxiety
. awaken our attention in what we do
. stimulate curiosity
. improve the trainer-student relationship because it keeps high levels in listening and learning
. create a positive mental state
. improve the ability to manage difficult situations because humor decreases the distance between people
. increase extroversion
. improve self-esteem and reduce shyness
Humor and laughter are a form of meditation because when you laugh you do not think of anything else. Laughing helps us to stop the continuous flow of thoughts and allows us to live in the present moment! Humor and laughter are a universal and primordial language, recognized by all populations in every corner of the world. Humor and laughter help us to live and manage our daily life, in a society that is increasingly complex and challenging.
That is why I encourage you to smile and …the world will smile together with you!
Stay tuned! You will soon be able to purchase here our Laugh Love Live program of 20 videos, with amazing techniques to enhance your well-being through good humor. You can access these easy and quick tips from all your devices, and you can use them in your daily life, in your profession, to bring more value in your training or coaching, or in any other of situation where you need to engage your team.
You can use this unique program and transform your life with a new habit: joy! With this course you will have an easy source of vitality to create positive energy while having fun in what you do. Through the energy of joy, you can get mental clarity, and improve your life by making good choices.
You deserve a joyful life! And you deserve to bring joy in what you do.
(SunLight Academy is delighted to host this article written by Gianni Ferrario, actor, performer and happiness trainer.)
