How can I spread more smiles

health Laughter training: why laughter is important and how you can learn it

Laughing is healthy. A thesis in which there is a lot of truth. This is confirmed by gelotology, a science devoted to the causes and effects of laughter. If you laugh a lot, you have more joy in life, you are healthier and you can deal better with life's challenges.

Adults laugh far too seldom

Hearty laughter loosens the muscles, releases happiness hormones and thus releases pent-up emotions. Children do this best. You laugh up to 400 times a day. In adults this is only the case 15 times on average. You should change that! Because: You can learn to laugh.

The body cannot distinguish between consciously evoked laughter and real laughter. Both have a beneficial effect.

What happens in the body when you laugh?

From a purely physical point of view, laughter is a reflex movement that involves more than a hundred muscles - from the facial to the respiratory muscles. This is hard work for the body. Ten minutes of laughter burns about 50 calories.

The significantly deeper breathing while laughing has a positive effect on the entire body. The body cells are supplied with more oxygen, which stimulates the cardiovascular system. In addition, the production of stress hormones is slowed down and the sensation of pain is reduced.

Instead, there is an increased release of the happiness hormone serotonin. Laughing heartily a few times is enough to increase the antibodies in the blood. Laughing supports all healing processes in the body. So it's no wonder that hospitals - especially with children - like to use clinic clowns.

Laughter training: one can learn to laugh

But how are you supposed to laugh when you don't feel like it at all? Don't worry, you can train this in three different ways.

One possibility is to consciously focus on amusing entertainment. This can be a comedy show on television, the joke page in the daily newspaper or a comedy in the theater. What you should do without, however: enjoying yourself at the expense of others.

Laughter yoga - this is how it works

Hasya Yoga, the so-called Laughter Yoga, is a special form of laugh training. The Indian doctor Dr. The method developed by Madan Kataria in 1995 consists of breathing and stretching exercises, pantomime gestures and Hoho-Hahaha clapping. Exercises that make you laugh for no outside reason.

Smile at life wisely

Certainly the most difficult thing is to look at life from its funny side. Life is too serious to be taken seriously, is an old saying. If you are above things, the craziness of the world cannot harm you. You can smile about it wisely or laugh heartily about it. This is much better (and healthier) than constantly being angry and angry.

Laughter yoga - exercises for at home

Laughter yoga is usually practiced in groups, guided by a trainer. Because originally, laughter is a form of social behavior.

1. Breathing
Take three deep breaths - and then exhale again. On the first exhale, exhale with a smile. On the second exhale with a relaxed laugh, on the third exhale you laugh properly and with a full throat.

2. Smile at the mirror image
Put a pencil or ballpoint pen across your mouth so that the corners of your mouth are raised. Then look in the mirror and enjoy your reflection in the mirror. Since our brain cannot distinguish whether you are really laughing or just pretending, endorphins are released.

Alternatively, you can make a ritual of consciously smiling at yourself every morning while brushing your teeth. And you start the day with an extra helping of happiness.

3. Hang up smiley faces
In stressful everyday life it can happen that you forget to laugh. So hang a few smiley faces in your apartment. For example in the bathroom, in the kitchen or in the washing machine. When you look at it, your brain will remember being smiled at as a positive experience and you will feel better.

4. Imitate Santa Claus
For this exercise, stretch your stomach very far out. It's okay if you make a hollow back for it. Then cross your hands in front of your stomach and laugh a deep "Hohoho" - just like Santa Claus.