April Fools Day and the Benefits of a Good Laugh
Laughter as Therapy
April Fools’ Day is here again - a time traditionally to play jokes, raise a few laughs and be sillier than usual. Bring it on!
The good news is that laughter is also good for you in so many ways! Almost nothing works faster to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. With so much power to heal, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a wonderful resource for dealing with problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting your physical and emotional health. And it’s free!
Laughter is the Best Medicine
We know that laughter is a great form of stress relief but its importance is often underrated. When you start to laugh, it doesn't just lighten your load mentally, it induces physical changes in your body. Delicious feel-good endorphins flood into your bloodstream, cortisol is lowered and dopamine is raised - this delightful hormonal cocktail is like meditating, having sex and exercising all at once!
Laughter can stimulate your heart, lungs and muscles, reduce your blood pressure and release endorphins into your bloodstream. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and help with muscle relaxation, both of which reduce physical symptoms of stress.
Laughter - the Best Medicine
Over the longer term, laughter may even improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that bring more stress into your body and decrease your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more serious illnesses. Laughter can even ease pain by causing the body to produce natural painkillers.
We know that laughing can help put life in perspective and make it easier to cope with difficult situations. As humour and laughter are usually a shared experience, they also help you feel more connected with other people.
Taking Life Less Seriously
Do you know someone who’s great at laughing at themselves? It’s such an attractive trait. Humour is a brilliant way for us to keep things in perspective. When we accept the trickier traits in others and ourselves we become more compassionate and, of course, much better company. Humour can work wonders to quieten our inner critic, so we feel lighter and more positive. So, laughter and humour are effective ways of boosting our self-esteem and will build more enjoyable relationships.
Laugh and the World Laughs with you
Laughter is contagious. Hearing someone else laughing primes the premotor cortical region of the brain and makes us laugh too. That’s why TV sitcoms use laughter tracks.
Embrace your Inner Child
Research suggests that children laugh up to 300 times per day! Even babies at a few months old learn to find things funny and know their laughter and giggles make others laugh too. Adults, however, laugh just an average of about 17 times a day. What can you do to increase that?
Hypnotherapy for a Fresh Perspective
If you suffer from low mood or anxiety, you might be finding it hard to see the funny side of anything. Hypnotherapy can update limiting beliefs, bring about a more positive outlook and a lighter approach to life’s challenges. This in turn will help you lure back that all-important sense of humour.
Call me on 07989 535527 for a free consultation.
Email - ali@alisonscotthypnotherapy.co.uk
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Recent Testimonials - 2024
“I felt immediately at ease with Ali. I explained the reason for my visit, and she diagnosed an underlying condition that had never occurred to me before but made perfect sense. Ali's voice was very calming, leading me into a hypnotic state. The treatment involved a guided visualisation, which she repeated several times. I have to say that after just one session, the results were pretty impressive! The negative emotions attached to the issue are gone, and I can now think about the situation without feeling any irritation. In fact, I find the situation quite amusing now and can even laugh about it. What a refreshing change!” March 2024
“My sessions with Alison were massively effective. I feel much less anxious, the voice in my head is much kinder and I’ve really been able to put some trauma behind me. I can actually talk about it now without crying immediately which is huge! THANK YOU ALI!! You are amazing. I also love my word weave and think I’ll listen to it forever!”
“Ali is amazing. She is supportive, caring and kind in her approach and I instantly felt safe and that I could tell her everything and anything without any judgement. I am so grateful for her help and support and feel like I’m back to being me! I couldn’t recommend her enough and if you are considering hypnotherapy, then definitely speak to Ali!” February 2024
Happy April Fools Day!
Alison Scott - Hypnotherapist