ABGW podcast explores how laughter can help with trauma recovery.
Cheryl: I am particularly curious to know if you have discovered your healing power that you have with laughter, on this journey of trauma recovery. And if you can recall a time when laughter brought you relief and connected you to other people. Hello, everyone, and welcome to ABGW podcast. Amazing, brilliant, gorgeous, wonderful. Today, we have a rapid rocket exercise where we're redefining trauma from struggle to strength. Yes, these are extra episodes designed to answer your questions about laughter being a medicine and how we can use our giggles to start healing our trauma. These episodes are all about helping you find actionable steps that are right for you right now so that you're working smarter and definitely not harder. These episodes are about a conversation about a life filled with empowerment, healing, and resilience. We're here to delve into practical transformational strategies. And I invite you, my friends, to commit to taking at least one action that resonates with you on an instinctual level as a result of listening to today's episode. Why? Because I want you to have the life you love more often than not. But the thing is, remember, if you're not ready for this commitment, that's fine. If you're not prepared for the challenge yourself for a better tomorrow, that's okay. This journey is yours. So it begins when you are ready. So, for those of us interested in taking action, I invite you to think about what you can delve into after you've taken the actions you need after you've listened to this episode. So, let's dive straight in.
How can laughter influence our mindset? Well, apart from the obvious benefits
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Nyah: How can laughter influence our mindset?
Cheryl: Well, apart from the apparent benefits of laughter on your body, the fact that you are genuinely more positive, optimistic about life, and fun to be around. Because we laugh, we trigger those endorphins in our bodies, those natural feel-good hormones. And as you know, those endorphins can help alleviate pain, especially chronic pain. Help us reduce the stress that we may be feeling and also boost our immune system. Because remember, all these things are linked. Our immune system is linked to our gut and how we generally feel. So what we're putting in helps us. Like they say, your body, you should treat your body as a temple. Because all these things, our mind, body, and spirit, are all connected. And the thing is, when we laugh, or we make a point of enjoying ourselves laughing, we can take benefit of the fact that laughter is such a great healer. And I think there was a book, I think it was called Autonomy of Illness, by my cousins, where he famously said that a hearty laugh is a good way to jog internally without having to go outside. And that is so true because I know when I'm feeling particularly stressed, or I may have had what I may have perceived as a bad day; I just put on some music. I have a playlist that I call Hayler's playlist. Why do I call it 'the haters' playlist? I call it haters playlist because it's like whenever I feel that people are getting at me, for whatever reason, I put this on, I turn it up, I dance, I'm laughing, I'm joking. And to me, it's just such a cool way of, well, laughter. And me dancing is just such a cool way of loosening up my body, laughing at myself, and getting maybe ten or 15 minutes of calorie burning. So I want you to embrace the fact that things like taking the time to spend time laughing. Just like in the film Patch Abbott Adams. Patch Adams. Say it right, Cheryl. Where there's a scene where Robin Williams plays the doctor, and he uses the humour of the situation to comfort and heal his patients. And to me, it's just another way of showing how the power of laughter can be used in a healing setting, in a healthcare setting. So here are three ways I think that you can integrate laughter into your everyday life. I would like you to try at least one of these three things. You can start off small. It doesn't have to be a big thing, but I would like you to commit to making changes in your life. So here are the three things. I would like you to arrange a biweekly comedy movie night with friends and family twice a month. I want you to set aside a night, maybe a Friday night, and make it junk food Friday, where you sit and you watch comedy movies. I would like you to see if you can find either a local or an online laughter yoga group. And I just want you to just go and see what happens. I don't have any expectations; just go and see what happens. The other third thing is to start each day by reading a comic strip or watching a funny movie online. So that might be on TikTok, it might be on YouTube, but start your day with a sense of humour already built in. So whatever you then go and do that day, your endorphins are already at the highest level they can be.
Nyah: How can laughter enhance my emotional well-being?
Cheryl: So you may want to consider, when you're sharing a laugh with friends, or maybe even enjoying a moment just on your own, your m mind is filled with positive thoughts. These experiences can help maintain a positive outlook, which will be beneficial for you, not only in that moment but in moments to come when you are facing some of the challenges you have in your life. Conversely, you may want to consider surrounding yourself with negativity, which can lead to a more pessimistic view. Yeah. So just think about that. It's quite interesting because I have a tote bag. On one side, it says optimistic, and on the other side, it says pessimistic. And, of course, depending on my mood, I decide which side of the bag I'm going to display to the world. But the thing is, it's about having balance. And the thing is, you want to be around more optimistic people, people who are going to empower you and encourage you to move forward in your life, not people who are holding you back for whatever reason. They're projecting their negativity or their pessimistic view on you. As the saying goes, laughter is an instant vacation. So you may want to think about even faking it until you're making it faking your laughter because that will, in itself, produce a genuine mood boost. I remember in the film A Wonderful Life, there's a scene where George Bailey recovers joy through the laughter and love of his family. And for me, it's such a cool way because it demonstrates how laughing can transform your perspective in life. So here are three ways I think you can potentially incorporate this into your life. So you may want to create a laugh digital, where you drop notes of funny moments daily. Literally, get an old jam jar at the end of each day, write something funny or even amusing that happened to you, put it in the jar, and then review it once a month. Literally, go through them once a month, or when you're having a not-so-good day, just to remind you of all the funny experiences you've already experienced during that period. Another thing you might want to do is think about committing to watching a comedy show or a stand-up routine. So one of the things I love when I go to London is I'll go and watch a comedy show. Now, I have zero sense of humour. I am so straight-faced. But the thing is, I know that if I go and see a comedy show, it loosens me up. It makes me forget about all the issues that may have been troubling my mind that day and gets me in a relaxed mood. Or you could even have a daily joke. I know a friend of mine used to do this. She had an app on her phone where she'd get a daily joke, and that's what she read first thing in the morning before she did anything else. And it really helped over time, I believe, to change the way that she viewed the world. And that's what we want to do. We want to take actionable steps that help us live smarter and not harder. Amazing, brilliant, gorgeous, wonderful. Helping women just like you who are unhappy, perhaps even with your supposedly quote-unquote good life. This is a mum and daughter-duo, not pulling any punches as we explore trauma recovery and ideas for building resilience so you work smarter and definitely not harder to create a transformational life, a life you love more often than not.
The fact that laughter enhances our emotional well-being is incredibly empowering.
Nyah: What impact does laughter have on my spirits?
Cheryl: Do you remember in episode eleven, we met Emma? And do you remember the effect that Emma had on Daisy? The fact that laughter just enhances our emotional well-being, and the fact that it stimulates your inner being positively and constructively, leading to such an emotional strength, which can be translated into that physical shoulders back. Feeling more positive and stimulating you in ways that contribute to your overall health and well-being. And remembering that such a good chuckle can be found anywhere. And it's just what the doctor ordered, as far as I'm concerned. I remember Audrey Hepburn saying, I love people who make me laugh. And honestly, I think that one of the things I like most about people is people who make me laugh. I'm with my partner now because I'm really fortunate. I've known him for over 30 years. He always makes me laugh. He makes me laugh at myself. He makes me laugh at silly things that have happened. He just cracks me up. He's not even that funny, but he just makes me laugh. Please don't tell him that. But the thing is, like I said, I love people who make me laugh. Even something as silly as watching a, film like Mary Poppins, where there's so many memorable scenes that show characters laughing so hard. I remember that there's one particular scene where they laugh so hard that they float up to the ceiling. And to me, it's so empowering.
Keep a funny journal to jot down humorous things that may have happened.
So, one of the ways that you might want to incorporate this into your life is by keeping a funny journal to jot down humorous things that may have happened to you. I journal every day or most days. I can't say every day, but one of the things I try and remember to do when I'm journaling, especially at the end of the day, is think of something funny that's happened to me or not funny; it has always made sense, but something that's unexpected, something that changed my perspective, just something that just made me laugh. Or even on the inside, you may want to even think about it. Like I said, attending a stand-up comedy course. I remember a friend of mine because he was interested in learning public speaking, and he thought, what is a fun way that I could do that? He joined a comedy course, a stand-up comedy course, and he even admits that he probably wasn't that funny. But the thing is, it boosted his confidence so, so much, and he made so many new friends. So join a stand-up comedy course, and remember to share funny stories with your friends. When you do your regular meetups, don't just come to them with your problems. I know friends are really good at listening to us, but also come to them with funny stories and share them. Make their day, too.
How can laughter help us navigate through life's challenges?
Nyah: M, how can laughter strengthen relationships?
Cheryl: So one of the things, like I say, I enjoy about being with my partner is how much he makes me laugh. I'm quite a serious kind of girl. I've got a rest in my sad face, don't you know? And one of the things that he does is share comedic moments with me, comedic moments of his life, of his day. And he gets me to laugh at myself. And to me, that's one of the coolest things because sharing laughter creates such a unique bond between us. For me, I think it creates that bond between people, forming that inside joke that only those involved in your day-to-day life genuinely understand. And the thing is, one of these shared experiences, I think, always strengthens a relationship and makes it more enduring. It's much easier to be around someone who makes you laugh than someone who makes you cry. I mean, that's kind of obvious, I know, but think about it. Think about all the people that you know who make you laugh and all the people that you run from because they're always so negative or pessimistic. So I would encourage you to maybe think about how you can encourage you or your partner to laugh more together so that you have a longer-lasting relationship. Because to me, laughter could be the very key that unlocks relationships, that key to a happy and healthy relationship. And as the saying goes, laughter is the shortest distance between two people. Yes, literally the shortest distance between my mind and your mind. And a quirky fact is that laughter, or laughing with someone, can make you more emphatic towards them. I remember that film. I remember I saw it when I shouldn't have. But, anyway, when Harry met Sally, because there's a scene in there where Harry and Sally bond over a humorous misunderstanding. And to me, it shows how laughter can bring people together. So, one of the ways you might want to strengthen your relationships through laughter is having a movie night with your partner on a regular basis or playing light-hearted games, including humour in them. I know there are many ball games now that you can just have a laugh with your partner and your nearest and dearest, or even share funny anecdotes or jokes during your dinner conversation. Rather than sit there moaning and groaning about what a rubbish day you've had, why don't you spend that time connecting through laughter?
Nyah: how can embracing laughter help us navigate through life's challenges?
Cheryl: Look, we're born, we live, and then we die. Those are the three facts of life. Okay? So, to me, we know as you're doing what you're doing and you're listening to me, you already know that we are going to have challenges through life. It's just part of being alive. So what if you just decided to embrace laughter and use it as a powerful tool to navigate those ups and downs, helping yourself to find joy in every situation and maintain a positive outlook, even in the toughest of times? It was really interesting. I was watching Nigel Benn on the telly a few days ago, and he was talking about his son. I can't remember. I think it's Connor Benn, who's also a boxer. And he was talking about some of the issues that they have faced over the last few years with drug allegations and all the rest of it. And even though he was talking about something that was really painful to him, you could see it in his face, and in Connor's face, he was still laughing about it. And it's amazing to me because it just shows you that even though you might be going through something that's really difficult at the time, surrounding yourself with positive, laughter-loving people just has such an overwhelming benefit, beneficial impact on your mood and overall well being, that it could be the difference between how you feel about your life and it's true what they say. Laughter can indeed be the best medicine for us. The human race we have one super weapon. As Mark Twain said, laughter and laughter just improves your ability to cope with stuff cope with stress, and it can even reduce your perception of pain. I know that if I'm in pain, an excellent old laugh really does help. So just think about that. Think about how you can use laughter to perceive differently about things, including pain. I remember the film, Life is Beautiful because it portrays a father using humour as a shield for his son from the horrors of the concentration camp. And, to me, it illustrates the resilience and hope that laughter brings, even in the darkest of darkest moments. So, just think about how you can use laughter to help navigate your way through life. Like I said, I journal every day. or I try to journal every day. But one of the things when I first started journaling is that I would just write down what I was grateful for, what made me laugh, and what made this day different from the day before. Maybe even arrange to meet up with someone regularly and have a laughter buddy, someone you can share your sense of humour with, someone who really gets you and your sense of humour, or even just watching or listening to something funny during stressful times, just to lighten the mood. Have a go-to program or a go-to piece of music that you listen to that helps you in stressful times. Lighten your mood. I know I love Vivaldi. I love hearing about his four seasons, and I remember finding it on Spotify; I think it's called Vivaldi Reinvented or Recomposed. I think it's called Vivaldi recomposed, actually. And I just love listening to that because it's an improvisation of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and it just always brightens my mood anytime I listen to it; it doesn't matter what track I listen to because it's almost like my mind's comparing the two. And just hearing the improvisation just lightens my mood and makes me feel more in touch with what's going on on the inside in such a positive way.
ABGW podcast welcomes you to share your stories of resilience and transformation
So, before I sign off, I want to just remind you of the story of Emma and how she took something that most people said. It was too much. She took the power of her laughter, and she changed the world that she could influence. So I invite you to be a bit like Emma. Take something that you know instinctively is a good thing, and change the world with. So, I just want to say thank you for joining us on the ABGW podcast. Amazing, brilliant, gorgeous, wonderful, because that is exactly what you are. We hope that you found these answers useful and that you find some inspiration. Your presence and participation here is truly valued, so stay tuned for more empowering content. And remember, your journey towards resilience and transformation is a masterpiece in the making. So, I invite you to embrace every step with open arms and let your story shine through with each actionable step, no matter how small. We'd love it if you leave a review you or provide your feedback, because at the end of the day, we want you to take transformational steps one step at a time. And the thing is, I know, because you're listening to this, that your resilience is a force, and so may your force go with you. Bye for now.