However the boys ‘went to town’ on my query, giving me ideas which ranged from entering a national silly competition to orchestrating a dog show purely with stuffed toy dogs on leads. All suggestions followed of course, with much gesturing, live demonstrations and outbursts of irrrepressible and contagious laughter. I love their ability to enter whole heartedly in experiencing an opportunity for joy and merriment, children have so much to teach us.

Robert Holden, founder of the Happiness Project in the UK reminds us thatt “Being silly is not silly; being silly is the first step to being free.”

S illy originates from the ancient word ‘seely‘ or ‘saelig‘ which means blessed, joyful and happy.

W hen we allow ourselves to be truly silly, to act a little ridiculous or frivolous, then we offer ourselves even more chances to feel the   freedom and delight that children often experience in their day to day interactions with life.

We can be silly on our own, with other fun-loving trusted friends or even with complete strangers, depending on our mood. Through focusing more on the silly side of life rather than the serious, we can begin to notice nonsense more and more in our daily routines.

I am discovering that through recording the silliness of my day in this blog I am deliberately rewinding and replaying the laughter and joyful moments in the day, which is heightening my awareness of the giggles and positive happenings more than before. It leaves me with a smile on my face and a grateful warmth in my heart.

I will keep looking for the silly in life….let me  know what you find !

Our dog is quite young still, only 18 months old which is still termed as a puppy in the doggy world. She adores her walks, frolicking in the fields, exploring watery puddles, following endless mysterious smells in hedgrows and generally loving the open space and freedom. She comes into her element outdoors and shows it in her doggy body. She looks around  in anticipation and interest in the world around her, tail  gently wagging, signalling her enthusiasm for life itself and this adventure into the countyside.

She makes me laugh, not just at her antics and unbounded spirit but also in her dreadful stalking techniques to creep up on crows that have seen her coming minutes before. When feeling particularly perky, she will leap and cavort into the field after some imaginary rabbit or squirrel and I can’t help laughing.

I realise though that a lot of the laughter is in recognising my own need to leap and bound around, and as I watch her sometimes it feels as if I am actually in her body and can feel the freedom and enthusiasm. Maybe that’s why we laugh at all the animal antics on TV and u-tube nowadays….animals do not care what anyone thinks, they never feel self conscious and like young children it is their innocence and openess to life that draws us to them.

I realise many people do not own an animal, in fact for many years we didn’t…although when my youngest son started carefully keeping a cashew nut in a matchbox as his new pet I knew it was time to get something! We started off with fish, and they are really not very funny. Relaxing maybe, but not hilarious. Even if you do not have a pet, there are plenty of rescue centres who need willing volunteers, or visiting or borrowing a young pet or animal can be a great laughter trigger.

Visiting a zoo or a safari park can be highly amusing, probably for the animals watching us just as much as us watching them! I remember as a child entering  a monkey enclosure with my Aunt Betty. Despite wearing her best hat she got covered in monkey wee as we passed through. We laughed for years at the memory, and still do.

When I am doing my laughter exercises my puppy sits just in front of me and watches intently. Of course she doesn’t laugh (well not out loud at any rate), but she certainly recognises the signal of a change in my mood and a raising of energy vibrations, and she’s ready to play!

Let me know what your laughter experiences with animals have been like…my Aunt Betty and I would love to hear them!

A few seconds later I realised that it was the CD that had got stuck and was making the horrific sound!  Ha hahahahahahah!

I laughed all the way on the journey, and smiled for a good deal longer after that. It occurred to me that laughter is a great way to release tension and the relief of laughter is so enjoyable, especially when you realise that life isn’t quite as tricky in the moment as it appears to be!

Of course laughing in the face of a bill for repairs would have been much trickier, but again it is our choice what we laugh at, how long we laugh for and when to laugh…. that is the wonderful thing of having freewill. We cannot control life, but we can choose our attitude at any given moment.

As I sit here writing I am enjoying the laughter of my two sons as they play together on the sofa. They are playing with their voices, music snippets, a few chosen Dr. Who figures, and their vivid imagination. The bursts of laughter come thick and fast, interjected by more fantasy and playfulness. Listening to innocent laughter always brings a smile, even in the most dire of circumstances. Sometimes we laugh despite oursleves, even when we are determined to be miserable!

Have fun with laughter today and enjoy the light relief…whether it is your laughter or the laughter of those around you!

 As Dr. Seuss famously stated ; “ I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells.” We all have our own sense of humour, as do we all have our own sense of the ridiculous, and this difference and uniqueness is to be celebrated.

 The late and wonderful Annette Goodheart, the leading laughter coach in America explained how laughter is a release; bringing  freedom from anger, boredom and fear.When we notice the ridiculous it tranfers us immediately into the present, and we forget our worries or our pain momentarily when we allow ourselves to laugh.

 Life is full of the ridiculous….politicians, seagulls,corny jokes,everyday life in general! If we cannot see it or feel it we  can create it for ourselves. Walking in a funny way, talking in a Darth Vader voice when you answer the phone, wearing  a tea cosy on your head, all utterly ridiculous and absurd but which help us to smile and not take ourselves so seriously.

 I am writing this now with a tea towel on my head as we don’t have a tea cosy…and here comes the postman!

 Have fun with the absurd and ridiculous today….and let me know how you get on.

 One of the first things people often say to me when they hear I am a laughter facilitator is ; “Go on then, make me laugh!” I am not hear to ‘make‘ anyone laugh, I will encourage people to laugh, but I am not here to force anyone into laughter.

When we are ready, and the heart and spirit is willing, we can open ourselves up to new adventures and learning through laughter, and have loads of fun along the way!

  I also admit that I do not laugh all the time. Not only would I keel over from exhaustion but I would lose my sense of balance that comes readily from accessing laughter and peacefulness. We all need space to be ourselves, whether or not this is to be calm and still, to laugh like there’s no tomorrow, or to bawl our eyes out.

  Laughter Adventure.

  I have decided to set myself a ‘Laughter Adventure’ for the next year, which will be the focus of many of these blogs. I am excited about the whole process, I adore travelling, so the thought of planning the journey, the anticipation of the unknown and the scenery and people I will meet on my way is thrilling to say the least.

  I have been running laughter sessions for four years now and there is soooo much to learn and experience!

Laughter Equipment.

What will I need ?

• an open mind
• a willing heart
• a deep awareness
• the knowledge of how good laughing is for me
• the courage to try different things
• playfulness
• a willingness to go wherever this takes me
• that’s about it

I want to be able to travel lightly, and to ‘go with the flow’ and see what happens…YIKES!

  I started my travels today by testing my laughter equipment out with a ‘windmill laugh’ in the fields whilst out walking the dog, swinging my arms (I checked first for other dogwalkers, I don’t want to scare anyone who may not understand why I love to laugh) and then circling them fully, chuckling, then laughing out loud, getting faster and faster. As I did this a burst of laughter appeared out of me, I say that because it is often a surprise to hear my own laughter , and I had a huge grin on my face which lasted several minutes. The release of endorphins created an almost immediate effect and I felt myself more energised and perky than a few moments before…..the power of laughter!

  As I travel on my laughter journey I want to stay balanced on the  inside. Walking daily in the fresh air grounds me and keeps me in touch with nature. There is a saying ” Earth laughs in flowers” and that is certainly the case, but we also need to be like the green leaves too, not necessarily colourful and beautiful, but constant, peaceful and nourishing.

  When my life is in harmony there is abundant  joy, laughter, a sense of  connectedness to others and the wider world, a  sense of meaning and purpose and a constant awareness of peace . But often life does not feel harmonious, stuff happens we cannot control. I am curious as to how laughing purposefully and regularly will help me in understanding any fears,anxieties or worries that may emerge.

  And in the meantime, I can smile, especially at the thought that I do not know what is round the next corner, or what I will be writing about next, and that is the exciting thing.

A teacher’s lot is not an easy one…hours of planning, timetabling, parent meetings, extra-curricular activities, governor’s reports, the endless paperwork…and that’s even before a days work in the classroom!

Headteachers, teachers, teaching assistants and school staff conduct a constant juggling act to meet targets, raise standards and provide for the pupils in their care…we salute you!

So it is crucial that staff have opportunities to lighten up, laugh and have fun!

Laughing helps reduce cortisol levels in the body and aids relaxation. A good belly laugh releases tension, lightens the atmosphere and helps to shift perspective. Laughing with others in school strengthens relationships, forges  common bonds and reminds staff of all the things they have in common!

Teaching teams have to work closely together and providing planned opportunities  to unwind, play and relax adds a whole new  dimension in which to get to know each other better. In the busy school day it is often difficult to find the time to get together for a giggle (although working with the pupils can often induce plenty of laughs along the way!)

When staff are free to laugh, be it on the playground, in the staffroom or in meetings, they are able to reveal a very important human side of themselves. Laughter also helps strengthen the immune system, improve circulation and cleanses the body of stale air and toxins. It energises and relaxes at the same time, refreshing body and mind.

Opportunities for staff to get together to play games, share funny stories and swap comedy DVD’s are all ways in which schools can encourage an emphasis on fun. The staff environment can be playful, with selections of comic toys, funny posters and pictures, a cartoon wall or joke pin board. These can serve as reminders to laugh whenever possible. Staff can also be encouraged to suggest a range of fun activities that can be trialled at the beginning or end of staff meetings, after school or at social events.

A school staff laughter session can be organised so that all staff, including ancillary and admin staff have the opportunity to laugh together without the need for a sense of humour. Facilitated laughter sessions on INSET or Staff Health and Wellbeing days involve laughter exercises, movement, playful games and learing how to access the various different laughter sounds. These sessions are an easy way to introduce more positivity and laughter and support whole school involvement in creating a happy team.

Laughter  is only one tool in managing staff stress levels in schools, but an important one. A happy environment and a nurturing, playful ethos needs to be encouraged for the adults as well as the children! Laughter together stimulates creativity, aids problem solving, and can often help with tricky situations when they arise.

It is crucial that teachers can be ‘themselves’ at work, be that their ‘professional’ selves, their ‘caring’ selves, or their ‘playful’ selves.

Most importantly, happy schools with happy staff are essential to our society……teaching and learning should be as much fun as possible!

 In our hectic worlds often we are so rushed, so stretched to get through the day in one peice that we lurch from one task to another without taking breath, ending up at the end of the day with our brain and body worn out, frazzled and plain bone tired.

 If you are one of those people who starts the day with energising yoga or a jog around the block then wow….keep it up….we salute you!! If , however, you are one of the masses who switches to another cup of rocket boosting caffeine and a chocolate biscuit frenzy mid- morning to keep you going then welcome to the , and keep reading!

   There are many ways to get your energy levels up, and I do not have the space to write about them all here, so I am going to go through a painless, quick, lycra- free technique that will start your immune system working, energise your WHOLE body and can be done in the comfort of your own home, living room or garden shed!

  LAUGH! We can choose to laugh anytime, anywhere, with anyone, for no reason! It is one of the most fun, easiest ways to get your body re-energised and kickstarted, especially in the morning.

  Try these easy steps:-

• Sit/stand tall but relaxed, imagine a line going from the top of your head up to the clouds and a line going from your tummy deep down into the earth
• Take two lovely slow deep breaths in and out
• Take another breath in and stretch the corners of your mouth really wide, yes REALLY wide, breathe out!
• On the next in breath , lift both arms straight out to the the side andthen move them slowly upwards to meet at the top with an inward breath and a smile, then on the way down release a little chuckle, try HA hA Ha or Hu Hu Hu whatever feels comfy! Look ahead or up to the sky  if you have a healthy bendy neck and you can imagine your laugh going all down the road.
• Repeat three times, allowing yourself to let go even more on each chuckle, LAUGHING IS GOOD for you!!!!!
• Shake out your arms, move, wiggle, jump, hop, dance, groove and laugh some more if you feel like it
• How do you feel now?

  Just by doing this exercise once a day or a coupel of times a day should keep your energy levels higher, your blood flowing and a twinkle in your eye…..let me know how you get on.

Laughterlines Coaching provides energy work outs for individuals, small business groups, large organisations and energising slots for team building days and corporate conferences.These can  range from a ten minute taster to an hour- long interactive laughter session.

GET MOVING, GET LAUGHING, GET ENERGISED!

So what can we change  so that we  feel more alive, more awake and energised again? How can we become more interested, more motivated and invigorated, how do we manage a smile or a laugh in these circumstances?

Firstly we have to decide  if we WANT to feel differently, not just because we feel we should, or someone else has told us to lighten up, what do we want to have happen…..what difference would it make to everything?

If the answer is ‘YES, I do want to laugh more’,  then one of the first important things to do is to loosen up the body, We can carry a lot of anxiety and worry around in us in tense, bunched up muscles. If we can release this, we can start to free up the body and therefore the mind will soon follow.

We can do this in a number of ways (be sure to listen to your body, you know it the best so do what feels good and comfy to you!):-

• Yawn (great reliever of tension)
• Stretch – limbs, body, neck, experiment!
• Gently circling  parts of your body, clockwise and the other way!
• Raise your shoulders up to your ears, hold, then release , repeat several times (Great when you have been working at the computer for a while)
• Shake out fingers, arms, feet, legs, tummy, any part that wants to be shaken(!)
• Move to a new place, walk around, feel energy returning to the body,( our bodies are designed to move)
• Create a ‘positive space’ where you can stand/ sit tall, look up or ahead and recall a time when you felt free, happy and positive, optimistic! (you will have your own words for this positive state) Does this space have a colour or shape? What differences can you notice in your body now?

Once in a more positive state, consider these questions….

If this day had some surprising turn of events in it what could they be?

If you could laugh at anything and everything what would that feel like( no-one is watching remember!)?

If you had a huge part of you that wanted you to be happy and joyful what would it encourage you to do/ have/ notice?

If you have a mischievious part of you that was desperate to play but was feeling shy, how would you encourage it?

What could you think/do/picture/hear right now this second that would make you smile?

What would you do if you were a clown/ 3 year old/free spirit  right now?

Giving ourselves permission to have fun is crucial for laughing more. Often we can say ” Not today, when I’ve really earned it…when things in my life have settled down a bit…when I’ve got more time!” etc etc…

LIfe is short. Each day we are on this planet is precious.

It is so great to feel alive, awake  and happy in the moment, with just this, right NOW! Yes, things in our life are not perfect, they may never be, but our imagination is alive and kicking….allow it to go wild…think of ways of being playful, living life dangerously and fully….even just thinking it is a start, you can always do the action bits as and when you feel ready.

Stepping out of our comfort zones takes bravery and sheer guts sometimes, but it’s worth it! Smiling at our foibles and disasters, as well as the times when it all wonderfully held together help us to laugh, chuckle and let go, releasing endorphins through our body. Placing our attention on the quirky, the unusual and  the surprising helps us see the world in a fascinating light, turnng the ordinary into the extra-ordinary.

What will you laugh with today…yourself…a comedy show…other people….animals….children…dancing in the living room…taking a risk….being daring…?

Or you could just laugh for the sake of it, it feels good!

Employers face an everyday challenge of boosting staff morale, particularly in the recent recession and in a highly competitive marketplace .

 But can laughter really be the answer?

 Research has proven that a hearty laugh helps to improve communication, relieve tension and relax the whole body.

When we laugh, we are giving our bodies fresh oxygen the refreshes the mind and stimulates both sides of the brain, boosting creative thought and increasing problem solving ability.

 A recent BBC program “The Young Ones”  proved scientifically that a good belly laugh substantially lowers  levels of  the stress hormone cortisol and  releases energising endorphins, a hormone which relaxes and invigorates.

Companies are now recognising the importance of ‘play’ in the work environment, encouraging staff to laugh and enjoy themselves. They are becoming increasingly aware that a happy team is a productive one.

What else does laughing do for us?

When we laugh , we are increasing the blood flow around the body, aerobically working the diaphram (like internal jogging) and releasing muscle tension.

So how can businesses increase the amount of laughter in the workplace?

Firstly the environment needs to reflect the values and ethos of the company. Companies that value creativity and fun can provide areas for their staff to relax, unwind and play. These areas could be colourful, with stimulating walls, white boards for ideas, jokes, cartoons and a selection of toys and games.Opportunities can be  provided for staff to connect together though laughter sessions, jamming sessions using percussion and fun events regularly organised by an elected  ’fun committee’.

 Laughter Sessions for Staff.

 Laughterlines Coaching  provides bespoke laughter workshops for companies and corporations in order for employees to experience first hand the benefits of laughing at work. These sessions demonstrate how to use laughter as an effective tool for  releasing stress, relaxing  and communicating  with others.

Lisa Sturge is the Director of Laughterlines Coaching and a Laughter Facilitator and Coach. Her company delivers laughter sessions for a range of organisations nation wide, incuding energising laughter slots at conferences and interactive team- building workshops at away day events.

The laughter workshops demonstrate the importance of laughter in reducing anxiety, handling challenging situations and accessing joy.

Who uses Laughterlines Coaching?

Our clients include Aveda, Estee Lauder, Lakeland, Legal and General, Goodwood Hotel and Covidien. Laughterlines Coaching has been featured on a range of media, including national magazines, radio and TV.

So what do business think of the Laughter sessions?

” Great for team buliding and to raise spirits. Lots of super ideas we can use on a daily basis personally and in teams.”

“Brilliant fun, the whole world needs to attend one of these workshops!”

“Absolutely fantastic, good balance of information and doing time to be creative and rest.”

“Really enjoyable and fun session, I was amazed at how much we all laughed!”

 So how important is it for businesses to embrace laughter in the workplace?

  If you are a business that values your employees and cares for their overall well-being,  then encourage laughter and fun in the worklace. Laughter reminds us all how to relax, let go of tension and embrace life to the full. It improves relationships, creativity and mental and physical health. 

To book a bespoke laughter session or workshop for your staff call 01243 572381 or email lisa@laughterlinescoaching.co.uk

Laughter…..the universal language.

www.laughterlinescoaching.co.uk

Everyone knows how to laugh, it is an instinctive refex in all of us that is usually  in abundance in childhood, but which lesser so as we enter the often serious grown up world of adulthood, working for a living and paying a mortgage.

Of course we still find time to relax with friends at weekends if we are lucky, watch a comedy show every now and then, but what happens to the rest of our laughter in between?

To achieve optimum health benefits through laughter we should be aiming for 15 minutes of hearty laughter a day…some days this is easily achievable, but what about everyday, how can we inject more fun and frivolity so that we giggle regularly and air our lungs with some hearty guffaws? 

Playfulness is the key…not waiting for the ideal moment, but seizing every opportunity to open up our joy filters and play with life situations as children do, with enthusiasm, energy and imagination.

This takes practise, but if we go about our everyday life asking ourselves ‘How could this be more fun?’ often we are surprised and inspired by the answers that come to us.

 Then it is daring to ACT on these impulses!

This can be tricky  in the middle of a meeting or serious debate, but what about on the way home….traipsing round the supermarket aisles or sitting at home in the evening?

If we set our intention on fun and playfulness we can begin to stretch our comfort zones and stimulate our inner childish curiosity.

It may not always be seen as appropriate or desirable (depending on where you work) for office employees to have aeroplane races down the corporate corridor, complete with outstretched arms in order to imitate Boeing 747 manouveres. However, when we pause for regular breaks throughout the day to play, discover, create and laugh we find ourselves working more productively and enthusiastically. Taking time to laugh, even for a minute an hour, refreshes the parts other strategies cannot reach. It enables us to release tension, energising us for the next task and encourages others around us to do the same.

  Building laughter moments into everyday routines, such as a trip to the coffee machine/water filter or waiting for the photocopier can all be used as a time to focus on frivolity, if we are willing.

 Designing our work environment is vital in encouraging play and creativity. Workspaces need to be colourful, stimulating and humour provoking. This is not always possible, but even if  your individual work space has reminders to laugh that is a start, and will act as a visual anchor to let go and giggle from time to time.

  Posters, humourous signs, pictures of people laughing all give us constant reminders of the lighter side of life. Toys, colourful gadgets, a ‘play’ whiteboard for cartoons, jokes or creative thoughts all help stimulate the laughter nerve.

A team that laughs together works.

Encouraging shared fun and laughter in the workplace sends a strong message to clients and employees that staff are valued for their whole character, personality and capacity to be creative and funny as well as their more serious academic or professional qualities.

How will you find time for laughter today?

You know your routines the best, the optimium times for playing and enjoying a shared giggle. Email me and let me know your ideas. Later on you will find me grooving on down to some seriously cheesy disco music in the kitchen…..so I will get back to you as soon as I can…..

In the meantime, enjoy as much fun as you can handle,

Warmest chuckles,

  Lisa