Learn how Dr Cyril Harrisberg believes laughter is the best medicine to relieve the pressures of our goal oriented lives. “We have become so preoccupied with achieving success that our lives are always heading towards something in the future. In the process, we lose touch with the aliveness and delight of the present.”
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From The Star: Link to original article.
In today’s diverse and demanding age, we live in a goal-oriented world.
So says Dr Cyril Harrisberg, the chief executive and founder of The Stress Clinic, a division of international communication skill training group The Voice Clinic.
“We have become so preoccupied with achieving success that our lives are always heading towards something in the future,” Harrisberg says.
“In the process, we lose touch with the aliveness and delight of the present.
“We all face different challenges and obstacles in our quest for success, but sometimes the pressure becomes just too much to handle.
“When we feel overwhelmed, under the gun or unsure of how to meet the demands placed on us, we experience stress.”
No one sets out to make their life stressful, Harrisberg believes, so the chances are that you are not aware of how you put yourself under stress.
The potential causes of stress are numerous and depend on the individual.
What you consider stressful may depend on many factors such as your personality, general outlook on life, problem-solving abilities and social support system.
Something that you may find stressful may not even faze someone else, Harrisberg points out.
“But when the going gets tough and life’s demands exceed your ability to cope, stress becomes a threat to both your physical and emotional wellbeing.”
According to Harrisberg, the following are some of the effects of stress:
# Stress damages the brain and can also impair memory functioning.
# Stress elevates your blood pressure.
# Stress can trigger pain, gas and other symptoms of irritable bowel and also aggravates stomach ulcers.
# Stress can aggravate painful joints.
# Stress can cause tension headaches.
# Stress increases your performance anxiety levels, which affects your performance across a wide range of activities.
# Stress makes you tired, it affects your immune system and, therefore, the risk of illness becomes higher
If you were told that there is a proven antidote to stress, would you take it?
According to Harrisberg, “laughter is the solution to reducing stress as it’s your body’s natural way of ridding it of stress and anxiety.
“Laughter techniques have been used for thousands of years in Eastern countries, especially India.”
So why, in our stressful day and age, are we not doing all we possibly can to take in the joys of life by always striving to see the humorous side?
“Laughter is considered to be a serious stress reliever, so taking a dose of laughter – the stress medicine – has benefits on your health that are no joke. So laughter is just what the doctor ordered,” Harrisberg says. Laughter, he believes, can do the following things to reduce stress and to counter its effects:
# Laughter lowers blood pressure, and reduces the risks of hypertension.
# It reduces stress hormones (studies have proved that laughter induces the reduction of at least four neuroendocrine hormones – epinephrine, dopac, cortisol and the growth hormone associated with stress response).
# Laughter cleanses the lungs and the body tissue of accumulated stale air as it empties more air than it takes in.
# Laughter stimulates both sides of the brain to enhance learning.
# It increases muscle relaxation, flexion and blood circulation in the body.
# Laughter boosts immune functioning by raising the level of infection-fighting T-cells.
# Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers.
# It provides good cardio conditioning, especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercise.
# It elevates your mood.
So, clearly, you should laugh more often.
According to Harrisberg, people who laugh heartily on a regular basis have lower standing blood pressure than the average person.
“Laughter can be a great workout for your diaphragm, abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg, and back muscles,” he says.
“Laughing 100 times is equivalent to 10 minutes on the rowing machine and 15 on an exercise bike.
“‘Laughter is the best medicine’ rings true, more than ever in the stress-filled world we live in. A few belly laughs a day, in fact, might actually keep the doctor away. If laughter reduces stress, then laugh to reduce stress.”
It all comes down to having a healthy sense of humour and, according to Harrisberg, it is possible to cultivate one.
Here are a few tips from him on how this can be done:
# Put humour on your horizon – find a few simple items such as photos or comic strips that elicit a chuckle from you and others, then hang them in your home, car and office.
# Laugh and the world laughs with you – develop a sense of humour about your own situation and watch your stress begin to fade away.
# Think positively – look for the positive or the humorous in every situation and surround yourself with others who do the same.
# Know what isn’t funny – don’t laugh at the expense of others.
Some forms of humour are not appropriate. Use your best judgment to discern a good joke from a bad or hurtful one.
So, next time you feel yourself start to tense up, get a sense of humour, tune in to your favourite comedy on television, read a funny book, call up a good friend and laugh heartily for a good few minutes – even force a laugh now and again. You will soon feel the stress fading away.
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