Hello friends, I believe you've been laughing more often now. This is the concluding part of the Power of Laughter.

 

The Stress Management and Health Benefits of Laughter

Research has shown that the health benefits of laughter are far-ranging. While more studies need to be done, studies so far have shown that laughter can help relieve pain, bring greater happiness, and even increase immunity. Positive psychology names the propensity for laughter and sense of humor as one of the 24 main signature strengths one can possess, and laughter yoga clubs are springing up across the country. Unfortunately, however, many people don't get enough laugher in their lives. In fact, one study suggests that healthy children may laugh as much as 400 times per day, but adults tend to laugh only 15 times per day. Other studies find us laughing a little more than that, but if you ask me, virtually all of us could use a little more laughter in our lives, considering how beneficial a good laugh can actually be for our stress levels and overall wellness. Read on for more findings about the health benefits of laughter, and see how to incorporate more humor and fun into your life.

Stress Management Benefits of Laughter:

• Hormones: Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), dopamine and growth hormone. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells we have working for us, and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.

• Physical Release: Have you ever felt like you "have to laugh or I'll cry"? Have you experienced the cleansed feeling after a good laugh? Laughter provides a physical and emotional release.

• Internal Workout: A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. It even provides a good workout for the heart.

• Distraction: Laughter brings the focus away from anger, guilt, stress and negative emotions in a more beneficial way than other mere distractions.

• Perspective: Studies show that our response to stressful events can be altered by whether we view something as a 'threat' or a 'challenge'. Humor can give us a more lighthearted perspective and help us view events as 'challenges', thereby making them less threatening and more positive. (For more on changing your perspective, see this article on cognitive reframing.)

• Social Benefits of Laughter: Laughter connects us with others. Just as with smiling and kindness, most people find that laughter is contagious, so if you bring more laughter into your life, you can most likely help others around you to laugh more, and realize these benefits as well. By elevating the mood of those around you, you can reduce their stress levels, and perhaps improve the quality of social interaction you experience with them, reducing your stress level even more!

QUOTES BY GREAT MINDS ON LAUGHTER

“If you laugh - you change; and when you change - the world changes.” - ~ Shilpa Shah

“The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.” ~ Mark Twain

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” ~ Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977); Comic Actor, Filmmaker, Writer

D.A. Ayo is a Medical Doctor with awesome abilities as a management consultant, professional speaker, trainer and a coach specifically in the areas of soft skills, personal effectiveness and personal transformation in different aspects of life and leadership. He is a much sought after world class international positive change causing speaker.

Contact: Phone: +2348034709985 or +2348179032946.

THE POWER OF LAUGHTER PART 2 BY D.A. AYO

THE POWER OF LAUGHTER PART 2 BY D.A. AYO

 

D.A. AYO

 

HOW TO USE LAUGHTER

•  TV and movies: There’s no shortage of comedies out there, both at the theater and in the aisles of the video stores, as well as right on your TV. While wasting your time watching something slightly humorous may actually frustrate you, watching truly hilarious movies and shows is an easy way to get laughter into your life whenever you need it.

•  Laugh with friends: Going to a movie or comedy club with friends is a great way to get more laughter in your life. The contagious effects of laughter may mean you’ll laugh more than you otherwise would have during the show, plus you’ll have jokes to reference at later times. Having friends over for a party or game night is also a great setup for laughter and other good feelings.

•  Find humor in your life: Instead of complaining about life’s frustrations, try to laugh about them. If something is so frustrating or depressing it’s ridiculous, realize that you could “look back on it and laugh.” Think of how it will sound as a story you could tell to your friends, and then see if you can laugh about it now. With this attitude, you may also find yourself being more lighthearted and silly, giving yourself and those around you more to laugh about. Approach life in a more mirthful way and you’ll find you’re less stressed about negative events, and you’ll achieve the health benefits of laughter.

•  “Fake it, till you make it!”: Just as studies show the positive effects of smiling occur whether the smile is fake or real, faked laughter also provides the benefits mentioned above. So smile more, and fake laughter; you’ll still achieve positive effects, and the fake merriment may lead to real smiles and laughter.

WARNINGS

•  A small stomach ache can result.

•  Don’t force your laugh.

Laughing invokes feelings of happiness and joy. Instead of being all gloomy and frustrated because there is no perceived solution, laughing lifts us up out of our pool of problems and plops us on solid ground where we can gain some new insights. Don’t forget to LOL (laugh out loud) frequently!

To be concluded...........

D.A. Ayo is a Medical Doctor with awesome abilities as a management consultant, professional speaker, trainer and a coach specifically in the areas of soft skills, personal effectiveness and personal transformation in different aspects of life and leadership. He is a much sought after world class international positive change causing speaker.

 Contact: Phone: +2348034709985 or +2348179032946.

e-mail: To get in touch with D.A.AYO send your mails to  da4j@yahoo.com or gloriousda@yahoo.com

Facebook: D.a.  Ayo

Twitter: D.A.AYO@DAAYO2                                    

THE POWER OF LAUGHTER PART 1 BY D.A. AYO

THE POWER OF LAUGHTER BY D.A. AYO

Once upon a time a grouchy king proclaimed in his kingdom that nobody was permitted to smile or laugh. However, a little boy who could not help it because he had a lot of stories in the mind that made him laugh decided to write a play based on one of the stories. He now proceeded to the king's palace to tell him that he wanted to stage a play for the king that would transform the kingdom positively. The king agreed and the boy staged the play. When the play got to the funniest part, the king burst out in laughter. He laughed and laughed for a very long time. When the play ended, he called all the leaders and friends that watched the play with and asked them if all was well with them since they refused to laugh when they were watching the play.

“Even if there is nothing to laugh about, laugh on credit.”

- Anonymous

There may be more to the lyric “Put on a Happy Face” than just a catchy tune — putting on a happy face is absolutely good for you, and those around you.

For hundreds of years, it has been acknowledged that “Laughter is the best Medicine”. Breakthrough scientific research is shedding new light on the physiological beneficial effects of humour on health. Laughter can come in handy, whether it’s for dealing with an illness, the pressures of daily living, stress, coping at work even, laughter can dramatically change the quality and outlook of our lives.

10 Benefits of Laughter

And laughing makes us feel good for a reason. The physiological effects on our body do some pretty amazing stunts. Here are some examples:

1. Manage your hormones.

Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine, adrenaline, dopamine and growth hormone. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the efficiency of T-cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.

2. Nice internal workout.

A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. It even provides a good workout for the heart. Laughing 100 times is the equivalent to 10 minutes on the rowing machine or 15 minutes on an exercise bike!

3. Physical release.

Have you ever felt like you had to laugh or you’d cry? Have you experienced the cleansed feeling after a good laugh? Laughter provides a physical and emotional release.

4. A positive frame of mind.

Laughter brings the focus away from anger, guilt, stress and negative emotions to them alongside other “mere distractions.” It will make you cheerful and put you in a positive frame of mind.

5. Change your perspective.

Researchers found that our response to stressful events can be altered by whether we view something as a “threat” or a “challenge.” Humor can give us a more light-hearted perspective and help us view events as “challenges,” thereby making them less threatening and more positive.

6. Social benefits of laughter.

Laughter is contagious, so if you bring more laughter into your life, you can most likely help others around you laugh more. By elevating the mood of those around you, you can diminish their stress levels, and possibly improve the quality of social interaction you experience with them, reducing your stress level even more!

What’s even better is that the more you smile, the more others will too. Seeing a smile creates what is termed as a “halo effect,” helping us to remember other happy events more vividly, feel more optimistic, more positive and more motivated.

7. Fight illness better.

People who are optimistic (who are out there laughing!) have stronger immune systems and are actually able to fight off illness better than pessimists.

The research is very clear — this is not some social science generalization — there is a link between optimistic attitudes and good health. And it has been measured in a variety of ways. Overall, scientists have found that optimistic people are healthier. Their biological makeup is different and they have a more robust immune system.

8. Live longer.

According to some recent research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, elderly optimistic people, those who expected good things to happen (rather than bad things), were less likely to die than pessimists.

In fact, among the 65-85 year-old study participants, those who were most optimistic were 55 percent less likely to die from all causes than the most pessimistic people. What’s more, after researchers adjusted the results for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity and other measures of health, the optimists were 71 percent less likely to die than the pessimists!

9. It feels like eating 2000 chocolate bars.

That’s right — according to The British Dental Health Foundation, a smile gives the same level of stimulation as eating 2000 chocolate bars. The results were found after scientists measured brain and heart activity in volunteers as they were shown pictures of smiling people and given money and chocolate.

People have long been drawing attention to the fact that smiling increases happiness both in yourself and those around you, so it is good to receive the backing of this scientific research.

10. It costs absolutely nothing.

It doesn’t cost a cent and it is highly contagious.

A recent research showed that pre-school-aged children laugh up to 400 times a day, but by the time we reach adulthood, we laugh a mere 17 times per day on average!

To be continued............

D.A. Ayo. 

D.A. Ayo is a Medical doctor and management consultant, professional speaker, trainer and a coach specifically in the area of soft skills, personal effectiveness and personal transformation in different aspects of life and leadership.

Contact:

e-mail: To get in touch with D.A.AYO send your emails to  da4j@yahoo.com or gloriousda@yahoo.com

Twitter: @DAAYO2
Facebook: D.a.  Ayo

Twitter: D.A.AYO@DAAYO2                                    

 

THE WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION BY D.A. AYO

THE WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION BY D.A. AYO

THE WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION

The house was quiet and the day was sunny. I was about 8 or 9 years old when I visited a neighbour and suddenly a black, mangy, wild dog jumped from nowhere and bit me. As a boy, I did not know the implications of being bitten by a wild dog. I did not know about a deadly virus called Rabies which has a 100% mortality rate in humans if you’re not treated on time. But fortunately for me, I told my parents the same day and because of my Parent’s knowledge of Rabies infection, I was given multiple shots of Anti-Rabies vaccines the next day in the hospital. However` another man that was bitten by a dog that had Rabies few years later while praying ignorantly thought it was an attack from satan. So all he did was throw stones at the dog that bit him. Few weeks later, he started manifesting the signs and symptoms of Rabies like hydrophobia (hatred for water) and barking like a dog. By this time it was too late. He eventually died of Rabies.

Question: What saved me and what killed the other man. Was it luck? Was it GOD and satan respectively? Simple! Knowledge and ignorance respectively. A book of wisdom has this quotation which goes thus “A man in honour that does not know he is in honour is like a fool that is destroyed”. Also from the book: “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”

Friends, every time you pay for something, it’s because you’re ignorant of that thing. For instance, why do you pay a Physician to treat you when you’re ill? It’s because you do not have the knowledge to treat yourself. Why do you pay a lawyer a lot of money? Because you either do not know the law or you do not know how to interpret the law by yourself. I’ve just paid the mechanic to repair my car because I am bereft of the knowledge on how to fix cares. That’s why I am a medical doctor.

The reason why your boss is earning more than you are earning is because your boss knows more than what you know. The reason why a person is your leader is because the person knows more about leadership than you do.

If you are not in the know, you will not be in the flow; if you’re not updated; you will become out-dated; if you’re not informed you will be deformed, if you’re not inspired, you will expire. To be current is the currency of life.

Did you know that information doubles every two years? In fact in Silicon Valley in California U.S.A which is probably the world’s largest conglomeration of Companies involved in Information Technology. It is said that in every five minutes the information in Silicon Valley changes hence if you’re not updating yourself with new information every five minutes you will become out-dated.

So what is the solution?

1. Read an average of 1 hour a day or more in your field or in any area you’re experiencing a challenge.

2. Attend seminars or workshops in your field or in any area where you need a change or you have a challenge.

3. Seek professional counsel or advice from mentors and experts.

4. Walk and talk with people that have more information than yours or people that have superior information than yours.

5. Turn your car into a university on wheels by listening to CDs while you’re in traffic.

6. Create your own information storing system by utilizing modern technology to store your information like external hard drives, tablets, iPods, computers etc.

The only weapon of mass destruction is ignorance. A challenge is not a problem. The only problem is not knowing how to deal with the challenge. No information, no growth. If you stop learning, you’ll start dying. Now go out and get that information. Your progress depends on it.

D.A. Ayo

–

D.A. Ayo is a Medical Doctor with awesome abilities as a management consultant, professional speaker, trainer and a coach specifically in the areas of soft skills, personal effectiveness and personal transformation in different aspects of life and leadership. He is a much sought after world class international positive change cuasing speaker.

Contact: Phone: +2348034709985 or +2348179032946.

e-mail: To get in touch with D.A.AYO send your mails to da4j@yahoo.com or gloriousda@yahoo.com

Facebook: D.a. Ayo

Twitter: D.A.AYO@DAAYO2

THE WEAPON OF MASS DISTRUCTION BY D.A. AYO

THE WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION

The house was quiet and the day was sunny. I was about 8 or 9 years old when I visited a neighbor and suddenly a black, mangy, wild dog jumped from nowhere and bit me. As a boy, I did not know the implications of being bitten by a wild dog. I did not know about a deadly virus called Rabies which has a 100% mortality rate in humans if you’re not treated on time. But fortunately for me, I told my parents the same day and because of my parents’ knowledge of Rabies infection, I was given multiple shots of Anti-Rabies vaccines the next day in the hospital. However` another man that was bitten by a dog that had Rabies a few years later while praying ignorantly thought it was an attack from satan. So all he did was throw stones at the dog that bit him. A few weeks later, he started manifesting the signs and symptoms of Rabies like hydrophobia (hatred for water) and barking like a dog. By this time it was too late. He eventually died of Rabies.

Question: What saved me and what killed the other man. Was it luck? Was it GOD and satan respectively? Simple!  Knowledge and ignorance respectively. A book of wisdom has this quotation which goes thus “A man in honour that does not know he is in honour is like a fool that is destroyed”. Also from the book: “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”

Friends, every time you pay for something, it’s because you’re ignorant of that thing. For instance, why do you pay a Physician to treat you when you’re ill? It’s because you do not have the knowledge to treat yourself. Why do you pay a lawyer a lot of money? Because you either do not know the law or you do not know how to interpret the law by yourself. I’ve just paid the mechanic to repair my car because I am bereft of the knowledge of how to fix cars.  That’s why I am a medical doctor.

The reason why your boss is earning more than you are earning is that your boss knows more than what you know. The reason why a person is your leader is that the person knows more about leadership than you do.

If you are not in the know, you will not be in the flow; if you’re not updated; you will become out-dated; if you’re not informed you will be deformed, if you’re not inspired, you will expire. To be current is the currency of life.

Did you know that information doubles every two years? In fact in Silicon Valley in California U.S.A which is probably the world’s largest conglomeration of Companies involved in Information Technology. It is said that in every five minutes the information in Silicon Valley changes hence if you’re not updating yourself with new information every five minutes you will become out-dated.

So what is the solution?

1.      Read an average of 1 hour a day or more in your field or in any area you’re experiencing a challenge.

2.      Attend seminars or workshops in your field or in any area where you need a change or you have a challenge.

3.      Seek professional counsel or advice from mentors and experts.

4.      Walk and talk with people that have more information than yours or people that have superior information than yours.

5.      Turn your car into a university on wheels by listening to CDs while you’re in traffic.

6.      Create your own information storing system by utilizing modern technology to store your information like external hard drives, tablets, smartphones, computers, etc.

The only weapon of mass destruction is ignorance. A challenge is not a problem. The only problem is not knowing how to deal with the challenge. No information, no growth. If you stop learning, you’ll start dying. Now go out and get that information. Your progress depends on it.

         

                                                              D.A. Ayo

 –

D.A. Ayo is a Medical Doctor with awesome abilities as a Positive Change via MIND/BRAIN Consultant, professional speaker, trainer and a coach in other areas of soft skills, personal effectiveness and personal transformation in different aspects of life and leadership. He is a much sought after world-class international positive change causing speaker.

 Contact: Phone: +2348034709985 or +2348179032946.

e-mail: To get in touch with D.A.AYO send your mails to  da4j@yahoo.com dafidi234@gmail.com

Instagram: iamda_ayo

Facebook: D.a.  Ayo

Twitter: D.A.AYO@DAAYO2