Humour for the Health of It!...

What is humour anyway?
Why bother with it?
Who cares if I haven’t had a good belly laugh in five years?

In previous issues we have talked about the ESL Program – Exercise, Sex and Laughter – in this issue we will explore why laughter is so important in our lives and to help alleviate our stress.

Webster’s dictionary defines humour as…

‘The quality of being funny; quality for perceiving the amusing; temperament to indulge someone’

Oh, to be funny! What is funny? Well what you find funny and I what I find funny may be totally different. Some people like the dry humour of Ray Ramono or Gerry Seinfield, while others prefer the slapstick antics of the Marx brothers or Jackie Gleason. Whatever your taste – humour is good for the soul and stress resiliency:

Benefits of Laughter…

• Relieves emotional tension
• Helps you escape from everyday pressures
• Releases beta-endorphins (opposite to stress hormones)
• People who laugh together work better together
• Laughter imitates aerobic exercise through cardiovascular stimulation
• During laughter internal organs are massaged, muscles relax and blood is oxygenated
• Humour boosts our creative thinking

Do you know that when we were children we were laughing over 30 times a day! How much are you laughing? So, how do you increase your sense of humour?

• First of all watch funny stuff – watching the news before bed – not funny!
• Hang around people who make you laugh
• Smile more!
• Put cartoons up on your wall
• Wear a clown nose to the office or at your dinner table
• Learn some good clean jokes and practice them
• Give fun gifts – spend time in toy stores
• Yell out Yahoo! Whenever you can
• Lighten up – life is not that serious
• Make funny faces with your kids and co-workers

Here at The Growth Shop, we have actually developed a half-day workshop called ‘Humour for the Health of It!’ The session reviews the health benefits of laughter and you get to work on developing your sense of humour. You will make funny faces, get a new name, play with balloons, wear a clown nose and share your most embarrassing moments. Your organization will come together as a team and lead with humour! To find out more about this course go to www.thegrowthshop.com

Tom Peters has two rules about leadership:

1. Never work for a leader who doesn’t laugh
2. Never work in a place where laughter is rare

So, there you go – get laughing, reduce stress and have fun!

Wendy Bodnar, BPE
Owner, The Growth Shop Ltd.

I haven’t had a good belly laugh in 5 years, is this bad?

In a word – YES! – Life is far too serious. Please watch a funny program, read a joke book, do something that makes you laugh and then get in the habit of laughing every day. Just don’t pee your pants!