Chuckle, giggle, snicker, mirth …
Whatever you call it, not only is laughter contagious, but some say it’s “the best medicine.” And on January 24th at 1:24 pm (local time), the world is invited to partake in the merriment of Global Belly Laugh Day by smiling, throwing your arms in the air, and laughing out loud!
Global Belly Laugh Day is described as the “Belly Laugh Bounce Around the World,” designed to create positive energy and connect people in laughter. Laughing, smiling, and jumping for joy are encouraged. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you are doing; everyone can join in the celebration. Try it and see how many people you can inspire to grin, beam, or snicker by sharing the laughter.
Did you know that science supports the value of sharing a good laugh?
Stress relief from laughter? It’s no joke – Mayo Clinic details the short-term and long-term benefits of having a good laugh. From pain relief to an enhanced immune system, laughter may be just what the doctor ordered.
Dr. Madan Kataria has developed a practice and written a book, Laughter Yoga: Daily Practices for Health and Happiness. Dr. Kataria’s official website, Laughter Yoga International, encourages voluntary laughter exercises to reap the scientific benefits of stress reduction, weight loss, an enhanced mood, and more.
Having good humor and the ability to see humor in everyday situations can foster happiness in business as well as personal relationships and may even bring levity to awkward social settings.
So dive in and explore the art of the laugh. The following books are available in CCPL’s COSMOS Catalog for you to engage, discover, and learn.
Laughter Yoga: Daily Practices for Health and Happiness by Madan Kataria, MD
This book will show you how to bring laughter into your life at any time of day–no special equipment needed, no new wardrobe, no expensive classes, not even a sense of humor! Laughter yoga is all about voluntary laughter–how you can learn to laugh even in the absence of humorous stimuli, and reap the extraordinary, scientifically proven benefits, which include stress reduction, pain relief, weight loss, heightened immunity, and, especially, enhanced mood: If you act happy, you’ll become happy–your body can’t tell the difference!
Humor Seriously: Why Humor is a Secret Weapon in Business and in Life by Jennifer Aaker & Naomi Bagdonas
Anyone-even you!-can learn how to harness the power of humor in business (and life), based on the popular class at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Many people understand humor’s power intuitively. But when it comes to using it with intention, far fewer know how. As a result, humor is vastly underleveraged in most workplaces today, impacting our performance, relationships, and health, and contributing to a permanent and unsightly frown known as “resting boss face.” In fact, research shows that humor is one of the most powerful tools we have for accomplishing serious things. Top executives know this, which is why 98 percent prefer employees with a sense of humor, and 84 percent believe these employees do better work. Studies show that humor makes us appear more competent and confident, strengthens relationships, unlocks creativity, and boosts our resilience during difficult times. That’s why Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas teach the popular course Humor: Serious Business at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where they help some of the world’s most hard-driving, blazer-wearing business minds build levity into their organizations and lives. In Humor, Seriously, they draw on findings by behavioral scientists, advice from world-class comedians, and stories from real-life business leaders to reveal how humor works and-more important-how you can make greater and better use of it. Aaker and Bagdonas unpack the theory and application of humor: what makes something funny, how to mine your life for material, and how to craft a joke. They show how to use humor to make a strong first impression, deliver difficult feedback, and foster cultures where levity and creativity can thrive. And they explore the gray areas of humor: how to keep it appropriate-and recover if you cross a line. President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” If Eisenhower-the second least naturally funny president ever (after Franklin Pierce)-thought humor was necessary to win wars and build highways, then you might consider learning it too. Seriously.
I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons by Kevin Hart
Superstar, comedian and Hollywood box-office star Kevin Hart turns his immense talent to the written word by writing some words. Some of those words include, the, a, for, above, and even even. Put them together and listeners have the funniest, most heartfelt, and most inspirational memoir on survival, success, and the importance of believing in themselves since Old Yeller.
