Top 10 ways to keep laughing
You’ve just attended a laughter seminar or a laughter yoga session and you feel great! You want more laughter in your life because it reduces stress, boosts productivity and improves relationships. Here are some quick tips to help you continue laughing.
- Start your day laughing
After your coffee and breakfast, have a laugh before you walk out the door to start your day. Remember Laughter Yoga’s Fake it until you make it practice. Even a fake laugh can get your day off on the right track. - Laugh at yourself
Being able to laugh at yourself is a fantastic way to take ourselves lightly. Besides it’s often a safe target for laughter. - When you make a mistake, laugh, learn the lesson and carry on
Everyone makes mistakes whether you like to admit it or not. What is most important is how you handle it and that you learn the lesson from the experience. A little laugh (out loud or even in your head) will remind you that you are human and help you move forward. Laughing does not mean you don’t take the mistake seriously but recognizes that laughing can help you effectively manage the stress. Remember it’s about taking ourselves lightly but our jobs seriously. - Laugh in the face of adversity
There are many opportunities to laugh especially when you consider all the things that are out of your control or that can go wrong. Start laughing when you’re stuck in a traffic jam or when your colleague is sick and you have to pick up the extra work. It will help you de-stress, get refocused and figure out how you’re going to manage it effectively. In many cases, you can’t do anything about these situations so why not laugh. - Spend time with people who you can laugh with
Research studies have shown that laughter is in fact contagious. Surround yourself with people who laugh and you’ll quickly find yourself laughing too. - Use laughter to energize a meeting
Why not keep everyone energized during a meeting with stories, quotes or a few laughter yoga activities. Try hearty or appreciation laughter to quickly raise everyone’s energy level. Note: Joke telling can often be quite awkward unless you are Jerry Seinfeld or Jay Leno. It’s best to stay away from jokes at work. - Build your laughter resources
This way you have somewhere to turn when you need that laugh. Collect books, magazines, toys, cartoons, dvds, or tapes – anything that makes you laugh or even smile. Here are a few great places to start:- Great cartoons
- Humorous quotes
- Funny dvds – Loretta LaRoche Humour Your Stress
- Get out to a laughter yoga club
There are now over 6,000 laughter yoga clubs worldwide. Get out and laugh at a club near you. Bring a co-worker, friend or family member and have fun. To find one in your area, visitwww.laughteryoga.org. - Take a laughter break
At least once a day, take a laughter break for 5 or 10 minutes. Get a colleague or call a friend and indulge in some good laughs. You can always find someone to laugh with at telephone laughter. Call 712- 432-3900 (long distance charges apply) and enter access code #6071292. You can see who is available on the hour or half hour or simply participate in one of the moderated times: 3am PST, 4amPST,6am PST, 7am PST, 8am PST, 9am PST, noon PST, 1pm and 5pm PST, 6pm PST, 10pmPST. If you’re calling from work, you may want to close your door or go into a meeting room so you can fully participate in the laughter. You can also set a laughter alarm that will result in a great laugh track when the alarm goes off. Try it! - Spend time with children
Children laugh an average of 400 times per day and adults only 15 times a day. When you spend time with children, you see how much they laugh and how their days are filled with joy. It is a great opportunity to follow their lead and bring more laughter into your day.