Let Laughter Be Your Self Care Superpower
Jump in the driver’s seat and take control of your health and wellbeing. By understanding how laughter contributes to a positive mindset and calms your nervous system you can turn your giggles and guffaws into a secret weapon against daily stress. With regular intentional practice you can develop the skills of using your laughter as a superpower to take good care of yourself.
Laughter is a rapid and effective antidote to stress and anxiety as it lowers cortisol levels and promotes relaxation. When faced with a challenge you have a choice about how to respond to it and often it is your behaviour that affects the outcome of the situation. Instead of reverting to your habitual response, choose laughter and watch how it ‘dis-solves’ your problem.
I recently applied this approach in my role as a parent. My daughter was asked twice to get in the shower before bedtime and when I felt my request being ignored I noticed tension in my body and angry thoughts arising. Instead of storming into her room with a raised voice, I took a breath and a detour to the laundry to retrieve a spray bottle. I put a smile on my face, declared to my daughter that “If you won’t get in the shower, the shower will come to you!” and proceeded to lightly spray her with water. We laughed together and she promptly made her way to the bathroom.
Perfectionists can befriend laughter as a tool for developing self-compassion. Putting on your ‘laughter lens’ provides opportunities to laugh at yourself. Instead of berating yourself when you make a mistake, forget something important or miss a deadline, treat yourself with kindness and accept that it’s OK to fall short sometimes. Laugh it off, forgive yourself, make amends and move on. This can be liberating as it frees you from the fear of making mistakes and eases the voice of self-criticism which may fuel your anxiety.
I claim myself to be a ‘Recovering Perfectionist’ and whilst I still have high expectations of myself and aim to perform well in my personal and professional lives, I have learnt to laugh at my minor mishaps. A few years ago my sister-in-law asked me to bring Christmas crackers to our family lunch. When the table was being set, she asked where they were and I pointed to the boxes of Jatz and Ritz that I had provided. Her quizzical look quickly registered with me and I realised I was meant to bring Christmas bon bons! I quickly apologised and laughed at my mistake which allowed my family to laugh along with me in forgiveness.
Laughter creates rapid exhalation of oxygen from our lungs and encourages us to take deeper breaths. These actions combined help to calm our nervous system and offer a moment of mindfulness. This helps us to avoid reacting inappropriately while under stress. By bringing us into the present moment, laughter offers us a fresh perspective and allows us to respond to situations from a more centred and grounded state of mind.
While driving to a popular shopping centre on a busy Saturday afternoon, I got caught in the middle of an intersection. I was at the end of a line of cars which came to a stand still as the traffic lights changed to red. Impatient motorists going in two other directions proceeded to drive in front of me instead of allowing me to move out of their way. Instead of reacting in a moment of panic, I laughed at their rudeness, took a deep breath and calmly navigated my way out of the intersection safely.
Tuning into your “Laugh-O-Meter” is also a powerful way to recognise the state of your mental health. If you notice that your laughter is not flowing as freely as it used to or you cannot access your laughter at all, this can be a warning sign that your wellbeing needs some attention. Take time to pause, reflect and identify the reasons for this change. Consider making some adjustments to your lifestyle to reduce your stress and if necessary seek support from a trusted professional.
As a woman of service, I enjoy volunteering my time in my local community. Sometimes managing these responsibilities alongside raising a family and running a business can impact on my self-care routine. In a particularly busy month I was not taking time to rest and recharge and soon noticed the signs of stress – restless sleep, neck tension and racing thoughts. When I wasn’t engaging in light-hearted banter and laughter with my family I realized my wellbeing was compromised. I sought some Acupuncture from my Naturopath to balance my nervous system. I also made the decision to step away from two of the three voluntary roles I was holding and within a week I felt a sense of ease and joy return to my soul.
Caring for yourself starts with self-awareness of how you feel when you are well and then knowing which actions and activities you can choose to maintain your wellbeing. Laughter is a free, easy to access tool which can be used to divert or reduce stress in your life. Regular intentional practice creates a positive habit of responding, rather than reacting, to internal thought patterns and external problems. By developing this superpower of self-care you can live a more resilient, happier and healthier life.
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