Mindfulness and Laughter: Boosting Your LOL Quotient
There’s a relatively new field of
psychology referred to as happiness
studies. While I like to imagine
researchers goofing around all day
with whoopee cushions and googley-
eye glasses, it’s quite a serious area.
It poses some critical questions–and
digs up interesting answers–regarding
what makes humans happy.
The givens: love, health, (relative)
wealth, and creative outlets
More to the point: belly laughs
Even if we’ve got the love/health/wealth
thing figured out, it doesn’t mean we’re
having a good time. We can have
everything we’ve ever wanted–on paper,
at least–and still be unhappy.
Now, that’s sad.
What’s emerging in study after study
is that people want to have fun. Well,
pardon me for saying so, but duh.
Yet, again and again, we choose to
spend
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think will be fun, that might have
been fun at one time, but just take
up time without giving us those
belly laughs. Worse, many of our
chosen “leisure” or “recreation”
activities actually reduce our
happiness levels!
We’ve stopped paying attention to
what I call the LOL quotient: the
frequency of Laughing Out Loud.
It’s amazing how many people can
go through an entire day–or even
longer!–without a single belly laugh.
We put our getting-it-done face on
and just get through the day.
That’s no fun.
The solution? Pay attention to your
LOL quotient, and choose ways to
boost it.
Let’s look at exercise. Now, we all
know we need to do it. We also know
it helps us feel
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those endorphins have the power to
boost our feeling of well being.
But sometimes we get dragged down
by the very activity we think will help
us! Are you laughing during your
workout? You should be.
At one time, my family belonged
to a mega fitness center. Sparkling
new, full of amenities, loads of
classes.
It was such a depressing place. The
women looked absolutely dour. In the
locker room, they were sniping
and complaining about their lives.
The men were running on the treadmill
while earnestly reading the financial
magazines.
Nobody was laughing…they were not
even smiling. Frantic mothers were
squabbling with their toddlers before
and after dropping them off in the
childcare center.
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of dance classes were people having
any fun.
I couldn’t stand it. We quit.
Last year while living in Mexico, my
daughter and I joined a gym at which
we busted a gut on every visit. It was
just too dorky for words, and even though
it was sweaty (no air conditioning!) and dingy
and the equipment was abysmal, there was
always something to laugh about.
Here in Buenos Aires, we had lots of
choices of gyms to join. We quickly
dismissed the big gleaming fitness
center packed full of exercisers on
overdrive. We skipped the
ominously-named “Steel and Blood”
gym.
We went for the local club on our corner
that has regular people
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30-minute workouts, is decorated with
super cheesy 80s posters, plays a
hilarious mix of music, and is closed on
Sundays.
You see, I want something to laugh
about. I don’t want to be surrounded
by people who view their workout as
the only highlight of their day. And I
want the bliss of knowing that I can’t
possibly go to the gym on Sunday
even if I wanted to–I just have to find
something fun and active to do instead.
As a former fitness trainer, I know what
we need to do to get strong. But I also
know what we need to do to get HAPPY.
And I’d root for happiness over fitness
in any smackdown contest.
Here in
...it and how it will fit in the room. Will it allow enough room for a fitness plan? Some things you will need to think about when planning a purchase. Having enough space The size of the equipment The type ...
There are tango halls packed with
would-be dancers. People come
here on vacation from around the world
solely to watch the tango shows, take
lessons, and take their turn on the dance
floor.
I can’t get into it. Why? Because it is
so serious! There is no laughing in
tango. It is earnest, and there are all
kinds of rules and rituals.
Give me salsa dancing! You dance like
a crazy person to happy music, you
can laugh all you like, and you still get
to wear sexy dresses and fabulous shoes.
Pay attention to the choices you’re making
and take a look at where and when you’re
laughing–and just as
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and when you’re NOT.
Focus on ONE area such as exercise,
and take a serious look at how much fun
you’re having.
Remember that laughter isn’t just
the best medicine–it’s the best exercise.
Find ways to do frequent sets of
Ha!-Ha!-Ha!-Ha! and you’ll have an
enviable LOL quotient.
It’s going to look great on you.
Maya Talisman Frost has taught thousands of people how to pay attention. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she offers playful, eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. To read her free tips and tricks for practical awareness, visit http://www.Real-WorldMindfulness.com