1 Humor, Play, And Fun

2 Positive Effects of Humor and Laughter Release of anxiety or nervousness Maintain a sense of control over life Breaks down interpersonal barriers Increases pleasure, reduces pain Physiological homeostasis Promotes general well-being Release of anger

3 Laughter Therapy Counters the effects of stress Provides cathartic release-- Purifies the emotions Releases emotional tension Different sounds of laughter Social laughing

4 Laughter/Humor Tips With significant others/friends/family: Seek out the humor in serious situations and share it Consciously smile at others more Stay playful in your interaction by keeping your voice and body language playful Play "Teasing Telephone Tag" by leaving outrageous messages Tell them how much you enjoy their laughter and sense of humor Exaggerate your affection for each other—Make everything bigger than it is. Add a dash of silliness for fun. Go on a spur-of-the-moment picnic Dance together in the living room, in the parking lot, on the street, in the mall Use your imagination to develop playful greetings for each other like a dramatic hug, enthusiastic joy at seeing each other, overdone messages about missing each other

5 Laughter/Humor Tips— Cont’d At work/while studying: Look for the funny things that always exist like typos, the funny actions of your co-workers, your own funny behavior. Give your projects comical names like Quasimodo or Thumper. Have mindless toys on your desk and take short breaks to play. Incorporate elements of a game into your work. Give yourself a prize for completing a project; divide the project into a football field and see each stage of completion as a first down; give yourself a cheer; develop a ritualized, playful way of turning on your computer Wear light-hearted, temporary tattoos that help you cope General Tips: Look for humor around you--on signs, in people's behavior, on TV, in the newspaper, the things others say, crazy things that happen to you.--Keep a journal. Share your embarrassing moments with other people. Laugh with other people when they laugh. Do at least one silly, non-conforming thing a day.

6 Types of humor Parody Satire Slapstick Nonsense Double Entendre Dark humor Irony Dry humor & puns Sarcasm

7 Fun and Play Pure, carefree, simple pleasure Lifestyle fun and Fun moments Play (Kolb, 2000) A reward in and of itself Enhances creativity and spontaneity Enhances learning