Got my shirt, my sun, and my red nose - let's go!
5 Fun Facts I've Discovered About Laughter
The choice of noses was red or blue - and the group picked whichever they wanted. They didn't know it would denote their "team" - really just a designation to determine who would be first to try a laughter exercise.
They learned the laughter sounds, "Ho Ho Ho, Ha Ha Ha, Hee Hee Hee," and the most important sound: "Whee!" The group not laughing were tasked with keeping eye contact with a laugher, and then the roles were reversed. It was so much fun - and educational to boot! Because laughter is important, necessary, and doesn't have to rely on jokes or comedy.
1. Survival
It all started with primitive humans. Imagine a group of hunter-gatherers meeting another group. Real language hadn't been invented, hand gestures ruled the day. Currently, there are lots of studies around the origin of laughter, and it's purpose. My own, overly simplified story is that primitive humans needed ways to show they were cooperative and non threatening. Vocalization based on forced breath created sounds akin to "ha ha." Nothing was funny - humor would develop many years later. And now, after so many years and so much evolving, we have human laughter that is so powerful, it can bring down dictators or uplift the down-trodden.
2. Diabolical Babies
There is nothing quite so endearing as the sound of a baby laughing. Parents recognize their baby's laughter, even when the pediatrician tells them it isn't really laughter, just probably gas. (Yes, they said that to me!) But recently, FMRIs have proven what parents knew all along. Babies are laughing - apparently for no reason. Or what is REALLY going on? The FMRIs discovered that when someone is laughing with a baby, and especially with eye contact, the brain waves of the adult and the baby start to sync together. Of course, we adults think we are teaching the baby how to laugh, and therefore, their brain is following ours. But here is the diabolical part: it is the BABY who is exerting mind control on the grown-up because their survival is dependent on getting someone to take care of them. Again, parents have probably been suspicious of this for a long time. The FMRIs have proven it!
3. Sense of Humor
Once humans were off and running with the whole language thing, there have been jokes, and puns, and practical jokes. Humans developed a "sense of humor" which is just a way of saying "what I like to laugh at." Over the millennia, this "sense of humor" created some of the first jokes scrawled on walls, many of which, to our ears now, are either not funny, filthy, or political ridicule. The oldest joke found, so far, dates back to 1900 BC, and yes, it was toilet humor. Today, humor is a wide ranging collection of all types of ways to elicit smiles, groans, chuckles, and guffaws.
4. Benefits of Laughter
Here is where laughter plays a huge part in human lives. Laughter releases feel-good hormones to your brain, and it is not just for fun. These hormones build resilience that helps you when life is not funny. Laughter benefits your body physically, and your brain, mentally. What many of us do not know, is that we need to consciously create habits to support our resilience. There is a scientific estimation that for every 3 negative things that happen to you, you need 5 resilience boosting events to recover. This is why sometimes you feel the hits keep coming and you can’t get back on your feet. Studies have also shown that laughter in particular, helps lower blood sugar levels, gives you some aerobic exercise, and decreases pain.
5. Laughter for the Health of It
The concept of laughter that doesn't rely on jokes or comedy is not a new idea. The practice of Laughter Yoga, created by Dr. Madan Kataria, combines the pranayama breathing from yoga, and exercises performed while chanting laughter sounds. This can involve clapping, deep breathing, stretching, and miming daily activities such as mixing a cake. Laughing "for the health of it" has has become an important part of supporting and maintaining resilience.
The Smile Side of Life
Starting with Laughter Yoga, and expanding into other well-being subjects, The Smile Side of Life presents fun and informative ways to use humor, laughter, and other habits that support resilience. For more information, go to www.njlaughter.com
Noreen Braman
Certified Laughter Wellness Instructor - Let's Talk About a Program for Your Employees
Author of: Treading Water – The Pandemic Edition, What Gets You Out of Bed in the Morning?
Take A Laughter Break for the Health of It
5 Well-Being Habits That Build Resilience & Enhance Well-Being
An Introduction Character Strengths
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