Wednesday, December 14, 2011

5 wonderful ways to laugh joy into your holiday season!



Laughter is a great way to de-stress during the holidays.  For many people, the holiday time means piling on shopping, decorating, parties, entertaining guests, and travel to an already busy schedule.  For those of us in the Northern part of the planet, it’s also the darkest time of the year.
Not so long ago, the rhythm of life slowed way down in the winter months. With artificial light so widespread, our productive time could be 24/7, and sometime it seems that’s what’s expected of us!  But humans aren’t built to function well that way.  While we can’t turn the clock back 100 plus years—nor would most of us want to--we can reclaim a more humane and connected way of life.
Here are five fun ways laughter can help:
1.      When your frantic brain lists all the things you need to get done, let yourself have a laugh at the anxiety.  Ask yourself—“do I REALLY need to do ALL these things?”  The holidays are meant to help us connect with love and joy. Take a moment to think about what is most important to you, and start prioritizing.  Check in with a significant other or good friend, if you need help. What can you cross off your list?

2.      Make a date with yourself to savor a long dark night.  Slow down. Take a deep breath. Snuggle in and have a cup of tea. Laugh at the shear decadence of it!

3.      Connect with the people around you—when you’re standing on line at a store, talk to the person next to you instead of fuming with impatience. Share a smile, maybe even a laugh.  Perhaps it will spread up and down the line! And when you get to the end, see if you can spread that smile to the most likely harried cashier.

4.      Get a small group together and laugh in sync with the holiday lights: every time the lights turn on, have a quick “ha”—most likely you won’t even make it through a minute of this without bursting into spontaneous laughter.

5.      At your next holiday gathering, greet each person with a hug and shared laughter before sitting down to eat. It may make all the difference in getting along with your loved ones.
May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility        -- Mary Anne Radmacher

WISHING MUCH LAUGHTER AND HOLIDAY JOY TO ALL!