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Is laughter a vital part of your life? Do you think it can be a source of strength, connectedness, and togetherness for your family? Yes, I do!
I’ve always believed in humor and laughter as part of strengthening my family’s bond. For me, they are vital factors of a healthy, happy, and healthy family life. In fact, I regard these two as one of the five elements that build a genuinely thriving family – quality time, humor, prayer, family dinners, and conversations. Among the five, humor is the most convenient way to help families thrive. Why?
Simple. Laughter and humor create an environment of happiness and joy in the home. It improves family relationships, establishes connections, and creates wonderful memories. It cultivates love and closeness by encouraging all family members to have fun with each other’s company. Because the greatest humor is strongly based on truth and courses out of a profound reflection of life as it is, laughter also evokes transparency and goodness. It gets rid of the insincerity and breaks down the barriers. It helps develop openness, alleviates tensions, and provides a source of healing and forgiveness for each family member or, in any case, from person to person.
Consequently, a few hours of laughter in a day make the home a happy space to live in. If you have not tried it, I can tell you that there are many wonders that laughter has given my family and me. As one writer says, one can’t love somebody if we can’t laugh with them, and there is truly a whole lot of truth in that.
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Laughter improves physical health.
Studies have confirmed that those who possess a good sense of humor and make time to laugh have a lesser likelihood of having long-term mental and medical illnesses. They further stated that all the systems of the body benefit from having a hearty laugh. For instance, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems get such a great workout from 20 seconds of vigorous laughter compared to 3 minutes of rowing exercise! Additionally, laughing reduces overall muscle tension. Happy hormones are discharged into the bloodstream, producing the same emotions that experienced joggers refer to as a ‘runner’s high.’ Even the Bible testifies to this when it says that a happy heart is like good medicine.
Families who live to laugh and make happy moments are also not susceptible to suffer from anxiety and burnout. They have a greater chance of enjoying their lives. They also have a better mindset and embrace the fact that life has its ups and downs and consider it as a magnificent adventure that they will seize together. This is why humor helps us manage not only our failures but also our everyday struggles and even our losses. It’s been said that to possess a sense of humor and to know how to laugh is to understand and embrace the existence of human suffering.
If you want to turn your home into a place where walls echo with laughter and where your family can appreciate the fact that you are together, take heed of these simple pieces of advice.
- Find humor wherever you are. You may need to exert extra effort, but it’s all worth it. You’ll soon realize that life, in general, is filled with humor and a lot of things that are worth laughing about. It’s true what Art Linkletter says – we as a people are truly funny. So be on the lookout for the funny element in everyone and in every place you go. If it’s not there, make one for yourself.
- Don’t take things very seriously. It’s usually difficult to see the insignificance of our existence when you look at the bigger picture, right? We most often think that the trials we go through are larger than life, and we must face them seriously so we can solve them. In the process, we have allowed our petty arguments and issues to overshadow our whole lives. Let’s not continue that. Try to relax and take one step backward before confronting a trial so you can see the bigger picture. What you’re facing is only one in a million. Don’t fret over it all; it will consume you.
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- Commit to laugh even if you don’t want to. It’s exactly when you’ve had a really bad day that a good belly laugh is mostly needed. During these times, a little bit of humor lightens the burden and reduces the tension. And it will certainly keep the family together.
- Find out what tickles your partner or your kids. When you notice that your children are bursting with laughter, be attentive, and find out what caused it. Study each of their personalities so that you can differentiate cynicism from clowning. Observe them regularly and concentrate on their humor styles. Learn to identify each of your children’s roles in the family, including your partner’s. Knowing these things will guide you in maintaining the equilibrium between sensitivity and humor.