The shortest path between two people is a smile, without a doubt. It doesn’t matter if they don’t speak the same language. Humor lightens our life and it opens doors for us anywhere in the world, as well as allowing us to express a wide range of emotions.
In a smile, all the muscles of the face and the facial nerve or VII cranial nerve participate. But more than that. 70% of our communication is non-verbal and the curve of the mouth, the wrinkles of the eyes and its own brightness are also essential when it comes to communicating.
A smile can be cold, mischievous, warm, affectionate, tired, shy, ironic or apologetic… According to the psychologist paul eckman, who related the basic emotions to his facial expression, there are 18 types of smiles.
It seems that the oldest recorded joke is from Sumer, from around 1900 B.C. of C., and says: “Something that has never happened since time immemorial: a young woman did not fart on her husband’s lap.”
We may not laugh our ass off reading this, but it does offer a clue to humanity’s sense of humor: Much of it is connected to sexuality, the workings of the body, and basic human interests.
How laughter and smiles heal you
Sigmund Freud claimed that “Humor is the highest manifestation of the individual’s adaptation mechanisms.” And it is true: many times we are “healed” when we can joke about the painful situations we go through in life.
Imma Rabasco, journalist and actress, sums it up like this in her book laugh and live “Humor allows us to distance ourselves from problems, which helps to solve them.”
The repression of certain emotions on a day-to-day basis, sometimes within a so-called culture, are an endless source of jokes, jokes and ironies that help to mitigate the psychological pressure. Humor can even help us relativize atavistic fears like the one we have of death.
The laughter and laughter release endorphins and dopamine relaxing and providing well-being. In addition, humor lowers cortisol, the stress hormone, which is essential for a healthy life.
In addition to healing the physical body and soul, the humor lightens the weight of the drama. It is no coincidence that in traditional tales and plays there is a jester who whispers or shouts what the king does not want to see: it takes a certain amount of madness not to take life as a drama or, at least, to take seriously only what it does. deserves. They were always cunning people: it takes emotional intelligence to know when and how to prank.
“A sense of humor is a human virtue”, says Imma Rabasco, “so losing it can be a sign that you have become dehumanized.” And certainly fear dehumanizes us.
Patch Adams began to heal his patients through laughter. This American doctor and clown knew that, through the neural fire of laughter, the nervous system relaxes and we stop feeling the contracted body, because the diaphragm also relaxes. That creates more room to breathe, and with more oxygen, we are more likely to heal of any condition.
Our ego, the monster that takes everything seriously, fears that injection of health. sense of humor is a gift of nature to ease the gravity of life: it frees us from the labels that limit us and opens us to the healing power of ingenuity, love and creativity.
Fire your inner judge
When we learn to laugh at ourselves, we can dismiss that inner judge that makes our existence bitter and open the door to flow with life.
1. Make laughter a habit in your day to day
Get used to laughing at the little accidents that happen to you in everyday life, even if there are no spectators. For example, when something falls from your hands while you are cooking.
2. Laugh now at what you didn’t laugh at in your day
Make a list of the ridiculous situations you’ve been through this week, month, or year, when you could have laughed at yourself. You can do it now.
3. Prepare for the next opportunity
Now move on to action in your real life: the next time you experience an absurd or shocking situation, let out a laugh (instead of being offended, embarrassed or dissembling).
4. Put words to what goes through your head
If you can’t get rid of your inner judge, say out loud what you’re thinking. In addition to becoming aware of what you say to yourself, you will take the pressure off yourself.
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