LOL
The acronym ‘LOL’ is no stranger to most of us in an era highly dependent on technology to communicate. If it makes no sense to you, ‘LOL’ simply stands for Laughing Out Loud, which many people use in phone messages and web communication to indicate amusement or to show that they are cracking a joke.
If only we could ‘LOL’ in real life as much as we did over digital devices, we would be much happier and healthier people.
“Laughter is the best medicine” is a very popular saying, and a very true one. Says Dr Paul E. McGhee, an avid researcher of humour, “Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.”
How it works?
Think of laughter as an exercise, but a much more enjoyable and less strenuous one than jogging or doing jumping jacks. When you laugh heartily, many muscles in your face and body move.
Laughter makes you relaxed. A loud, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress in your body for
Laughter improves your immune system. Stress hormones are decreased, while immunity cells and infection-fighting antibodies are increased when you laugh. Your body resists illnesses more easily.
Laughter makes you feel happy. Laughing releases endorphins, which make you feel good and sometimes, provide temporary pain relief.
Laughter improves heart health. By increasing blood flow and improving the function of blood vessels, the occurrence of heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems are reduced.
Laughter burns calories. According to the International Journal of Obesity, just 15 minutes of laughter a day will burn 10 to 40 calories, depending on the person’s weight and intensity of laughter. This can eliminate between 1 to 4lb (about 0.5 to 1.8kg) a year!
Try laughing heartily right now and get instantaneous results!
Creating Opportunities to Laugh
Now that you have seen and probably experienced the benefits of laughter, what can we do to create more laughter in our lives? Some find it more difficult to laugh, due to personality and background. Nevertheless, the following tips will help you to see the lighter side of life.
- Watch a funny movie or TV show.
- Check out the humour section at the book store
- Surf Youtube for funny videos.
- Read the funny pages of your newspaper
- Share the jokes with your family and friends
- Play with a pet
- Goof around with children
- Participate in fun group activities like bowling and karaoke.
- Learn ‘Laughter Yoga’ by looking up clips on the internet. Chances are, even if you don’t master the steps, you’re bound to be tickled silly by crowds of people laughing uproariously over nothing.
Just for Laughs
Three guys, stranded on a desert island, find a magic lantern containing a genie, who grants them each one wish. The first guy wishes he was off the island and back home. The second guy wishes the same. The third guy says “I’m lonely. I wish my friends were back here.”
A woman was surprised to find her son sitting in front of the bunny’s cage with his Maths homework inside. She asked him what he was doing, and he replied, “The teacher told us rabbits multiply fast, but this stupid bunny can’t even add!”
1st thief : Oh! The police is here. Quick! Jump out of the window!
2nd thief : But this is the 13th floor.
1st thief : Hurry! This is no time for superstitions.
Girl : Do you love me?
Boy : Yes Dear.
Girl : Would you die for me?
Boy : No, mine is undying love.
A drunkard was brought to court. Just before the trial there was a commotion in the gallery. The judge pounded the gravel on his table and shouted, “Order, order.” The drunkard immediately responded, “I’ll have a scotch and soda.”
Tom was crying on his first day in school.
“What’s wrong?” inquired the teacher.
“I hate school and I have to come here until I’m 12 years old,” Tom cried.
Replied the teacher, “Take heart, Tom. I’ve to come here until I’m 65 and I’m not discouraged.”
Malek’s mum had just given birth to twins, and his dad said to him: “If you tell your teacher about this, she will surely give you a day’s holiday.”
That evening, Malek returned from school happily and announced to his parents: “I don’t have to go to school tomorrow!”
“Did you tell your teacher about the twins?” queried his dad.
“No,” replied Malek. “I just told her I had a baby sister. I’m saving the other one for next week.”
Jokes from “Student’s Treasury of Humour” and “100 Funniest Jokes of All Time (http://www.bluedonut.com/jokes.htm).
– This article first appeared in a lifestyle magazine