I found myself feeling low the other day. Too much of the world’s negativity had found its way into my psyche. I’d become overwhelmed by the amount of entitled people in the news, the political craziness, and the continued strain of going anywhere during a pandemic. Life’s stressors gaining a foothold into my good humor.
I needed a quick fix. I headed for a favorite Internet site for some comic relief. There I spent about 40 minutes laughing out loud. I lost myself in the humorous routines I was watching. With a busy schedule, this seemed like an unnecessary indulgence at first. So, I looked into it.
What I found was this. Laughter is very important to the health and well-being of everyone. It is especially important for the highly sensitive.
Regaining Balance
As highly sensitive people, we are bombarded by stimulants on every level. As we laugh, we are able to recharge and increase our energy. We distract ourselves away from the negative energy flowing our way as we load up on endorphins.
Laughter alters our perspective. As we develop a lighthearted attitude, we are able to change how we view a threat, seeing it more as a challenge. As we do, our balance can return to normal.
Increased Immunity/Stress Relief
In our normal population, it is well known that laughter provides stress relief and increased immunity. It is so crucial to a highly sensitive nature that it is imperative that we include it in our self-care regimen. Stress becomes harmful far sooner than it does for the normal person. Our systems are exposed to increasing level of stimulation, causing overload far sooner.
Laughter has been found to be so therapeutic that it has been included in the mental health field as a mode of therapy for depression, anxiety and insomnia.
One such form of therapy is Laughter Therapy developed by Dr. Madan Kataria. It combines laughter exercises with yoga breathing techniques. What a great way to get the benefits of both at the same time.
Creativity Booster
One of our enviable traits is our creative ability. That creativity can become stifled when our balance is off and our stress is high. Removing those things alone helps strengthen our creativity. But laughter also sparks creative flow. Laughter lightens our mood, allows us to relax, and shifts our perspective. Which in turn allows our creative forces to move more easily.
Laughter shares a great deal with creativity. Surprise is a component of both. The success of any humorous exchange relies in some part on that element of surprise. Creativity leads us to a new, innovative end product. It is not creativity if it does not surprise our senses in some way.
A good belly laugh or even a chuckle helps us deal with unkind side effects that can accompany our highly sensitive natures. And even support our good traits. Acquaint yourself with this easy, enjoyable and free means of healing. It’s worth your attention.
Copyright 2022, Monica Nelson
