Play & Laughter
Hi Friends
Despite the weather in the UK, the summer is officially here and we reserve the month of July for fun, play, laughter, connection and all things that are good for your summer soul!
So this is a short and sweet lifetonic encouraging you to step away from any to-do list for July and make an intentional decision to let your hair down and have some summer fun with ZERO guilt attached!
Why is it important for us to laugh?
The health benefits of one good laugh are pretty spectacular; when you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually kick starts a series of physical changes in your body.
Laughter can:
- stimulate many of your internal organs (which makes them work better)
- enhance your intake of oxygen-rich air
- stimulate your heart, lungs and muscles
- and increase the endorphins that are released by your brain, which can help to reduce pain and also lower the stress hormones cortisol and adrenelin
But as this article explains, adults only laugh around 20 times a day compared to children who laugh up to 400 times a day!
Recent research has shown that that figure could actually be lower as things like social isolation and working from home have brought around a laughter deficit!
So ask yourself this question: when was the last time you laughed? And then make it an intention to find something to laugh about each day this summer and beyond.
Why is it important for us to ‘play’?
Play means doing something just for the fun and enjoyment of it, with no goal or expected outcome – when was the last time you did something without having a meaning attached to it?!
When we are in play, it opens us to being present, and it invites us to experience joy.
For everyone play will look different; it might be reflected in your hobbies and interests or the relationships you have in your life. Play can be activities you do on your own, but it is also great when we can do them with other people in our lives. When we share in play, we strengthen connections with others; our children, our partners and even our communities, depending on what we do.
One of the biggest and best benefits of play, is enhancing bonding; either on a personal level or a social level.
Ultimately we can use it as a way to connect and forget about our worries, and that’s what can make it so good for our health.
Play inherently makes way for creativity and innovation, strengthening our ability to problem solve and navigate difficult decisions. Including more play in our lives also encourages us to be present and experience positive emotions like joy and laughter, which in turn helps to balance our lives when we are going through difficult times.
We lead busy lives, in part because we value achievements, so to make time for laughter and play would mean we would need to value our own well-being. Sometimes slowing down to find the humour in the everyday is worth more than finishing a task, and to play would mean we could allow ourselves to experience joy..
So what’s one way you’re going to add more play into your life this summer? Share in our Facebook Community so as we can create a little bucket list of ideas for each other.
And if you need a little kick start of ideas, then don’t forget you can refer back to this Lifetonic.
Wishing you a month that’s filled with laughter, fun and (hopefully) a whole lot of sunshine!