by Paul Long
Laughter is contagious. When one person laughs, others tend to follow suit. No one wants to be the person that gets others down. Humor is one sure fire way to positively impact not only yourself but others, as well.
HOW:
There are countless ways to make yourself or others laugh. Sharing embarrassing moments, telling jokes, doing silly dances with friends, or watching comedy television are just a few ways to get that funny bone tickled.
Every Friday night on Comedy Central, stand-up comics perform on a show called “Comedy Central Presents.” By setting my DVR recorder to record this entire series, I can generate a laugh whenever I need to just by pressing “play.”
Another avenue to explore when trying to get a chuckle is to laugh at yourself. There is no better time to act ridiculous than when no one else is around. When we are alone, no one is around to judge us but ourselves.
For years, I worked as a call center representative who had to fix people’s “problems” on a daily basis. It seemed as though everyone who called me was mad at the world and needed me to turn their situation around.
Hearing negative experiences day in and day out can really take a toll on an individual’s mindset. Following a long and tiresome day, I would always try to find ways to cleanse myself of the negativity that surrounded me at work.
One of my favorite ways of accomplishing this was to drop my things at the door upon my arrival home and sprint to my bedroom. Once my bed was in sight, I would leap onto it with my arms and legs fully extended.
Those of you familiar with wrestling may remember a wrestler by the name of Eddie Guerrero. It was his move known only as “the frog splash” that turned my day around.
You see, when I dropped my “baggage” at the door and made the leap into my bed, I felt silly. I even remember saying out loud, “Paul, you’re an idiot!” However, no one was around to judge me, and ultimately, I felt completely different about myself and my day. It was as though I had taken a bath in positivity!
Other ways that have helped me to laugh at myself are dancing before the mirror, making up songs, and talking to myself. I don’t believe that there is any one way that is better than another for the implementation of this FUNdamental.
If it makes you laugh, then do it often!
FUNdamental #7
Meditate/Relax
WHAT:
Take time out of your busy day to relax or meditate.
WHY:
Have you ever lain down for bed at the end of a busy day and were unable to sleep as your brain was overwhelmed with thoughts of things to do or worries out of your control?
Join the club!
One can argue that the reason this happens is due to the fact that we are always preoccupied with the things going on throughout our day. When we don’t take time to ourselves to clear our minds and focus solely on our own personal wellbeing, our brain takes over when our day slows down. This, of course, usually being the time we lay ourselves down to sleep.
Per an article written by Psychology Today called, “The Benefits of Meditation,” those that meditate “shift negative brain waves in the stress prone right frontal cortex of the brain to the calmer left frontal cortex.”
Unfortunately, I am no doctor so I struggle understanding what this statement means. Luckily the article breaks it down to explain that when you meditate, a mental shift happens in the brain such that there’s a significant reduction in the likelihood of stress, anxiety, and depression.
HOW:
There are numerous resources in the world today dedicated to meditation including the how to, benefits of, and whys surrounding its value. A couple of our favorites are Stephan Bodian’s Meditation for Dummies and Victor Davich’s 8 Minute Meditation.
Meditation for Dummies includes an audio CD with short meditation exercises that you can download to an iPod or MP3 player. You can do these exercises when you awake from your slumber, in the sauna at the gym, during lunch in the office, or right before bed.
8 Minute Meditation focuses on meditation for the beginner and those constantly on the run. The book quickly gives you exercises and explains why they are important. It allows you to experience the power of meditation simply by doing.
The only way to believe in something is to experience it ourselves. 8 Minute Mediation allows you the chance to determine whether meditation is right for you in minutes.
As I am not a meditation expert, I don’t want to give too much info on how to meditate. However, a good friend of mine painted a picture of how he incorporates meditation in his daily life.
Below you will find his instruction:
▪ Find a quiet place where you will not be interrupted, and get comfortable.
▪ Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Feel the oxygen fill your lungs.
▪ As you exhale, imagine letting go of all the anxiety and worry in your life.
▪ While continuing to focus on your breath, picture yourself floating to the bottom of a body of water. As your weighted body sinks further down, look up to where you originally entered the water.
▪ Picture your worry and the troubles in your life getting further and further away from you as you left them when you took the plunge.
▪ Breathe easily and continue to focus on the oxygen entering and filling your body. As you plummet further into the water, embrace the clarity of your mind as your thoughts were left far above you.
Remember what Travis Kelce stated in the foreword of this book?
“As you reflect, find comfort in revisiting the past. Yes, you’ll feel some pain but reliving how you felt through your worst moments can help keep you on track. It keeps your mind in a place where you’re motivated to make sure you never get back to that point again.
The key to growth is pushing through the heartache without wallowing in it and developing a plan to move yourself forward.”
While meditating, embrace your thoughts as they help identify your foundation, then work to clear your mind of all things so as to find the right path to your own enlightenment.
FUNdamental #8
Read
WHAT:
Read something of interest.
WHY:
When I was a kid, my mother always told me that reading made me smart. For years I thought intelligence was directly correlated to the number of books I read.
Maybe that’s why Forrest Gump’s “I’m not a smart man” quote always resonated with me.
Dr. Seuss once wrote, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” I knew that reading would provide me opportunity, but it was not something that I enjoyed or gave me strength. As a result, I found myself gravitating towards other FUNdamentals like working out, video games, playing basketball, and more.
As I grew older, I realized that there are far more benefits to reading than just growing my vocabulary or feeling smart, mental health being the most important to me.
A 2013 article from The Atlantic titled, “More Scientific Evidence That Reading Is Good for You,” details how reading reduced the rate of cognitive decline in dementia patients. In addition, the article outlines how reading can provide individuals with “an increased tolerance for uncertainty.”
One of the most powerful articles on the benefits of reading for me was a Huffington Post column titled, “6 Science-Backed Reasons to Go Read a Book Right Now,” written by Laura Schocker.
Laura stated that reading can reduce stress, keep the brain sharp, reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, help you sleep better, make you more empathetic, and ease depression.
What more evidence do we need?
I know reading is not always as F.U.N. as binge watching Netflix. However, if reading can improve mental health as outlined above, why not give it a try?
HOW:
There are millions of pieces of literature that can be found anywhere including the checkout counter at a local grocery store, the library, or at the click of a butt
on from the comfort of your own home. My mother, Martha, goes to the library every Saturday morning, checks out three novels, reads them all in a week’s time, and returns them the following Saturday to repeat the cycle.
I’m not that diligent or driven to read at that level. Typically, I enjoy reading sports, feel-good stories, or news articles from links I find on Twitter.
For me, it’s important to avoid strongly opinionated articles or those written with a negative tone. As a motivational speaker, I always thought I had to read self-help content to stay relevant in my industry. However, when I read that type of content, typically I lose interest within minutes.
As you begin or continue your exploration into the FUNdamental of reading, it’s imperative that you balance the things you think you should read with those that are actually of interest. This will improve the likelihood of you enjoying reading while reducing the probability of burnout.
Tonight as you finally find time to wind down and are looking for a little mental relief, try substituting the remote for a good read. If the result is a great night’s rest and a temporary escape from your troubles, you’ll be thankful you did.
FUNdamental #9
Stretch
WHAT:
Get your stretch on or try some yoga.
WHY:
Now I’m not the most flexible gentleman on the planet. However, when I get a good stretch in, I typically end up feeling more relaxed, mentally fit, and at peace with my surroundings. After three knee surgeries, I’ve found that stretching can ease the pain created by changes in weather pressure or physical activity.
Being more bendy is an added bonus, if you get my drift.
K. Aleisha Fetters, in her Fitness Magazine column titled, “11 Seriously Awesome Benefits of Stretching,” wrote that, “stretching primes your muscles for exercise, improves your posture, eases back pain, improves exercise form, prevents injury, boosts joint health, slashes stress, helps you sleep better, boosts blood flow to your brain, improves energy, and fights nagging anxieties.”
Oftentimes we consider stretching as a precursor to an activity or something to be incorporated after exercise. As you can see from the benefits above, stretching doesn’t have to apply exclusively to pre-or post-workouts. Stretching itself can be the activity.
Challenge yourself to a good stretch and feel the difference in your physical and mental health!
HOW:
Try touching your toes (just give your legs a hug if you can’t), bring your knees to your chest while lying on the floor, make a butterfly with your legs to stretch the groin, grab your elbow over your head to stretch your triceps, and grab a door jam stretching your arm behind you to work those pectorals.
There are a million resources out there for guidance on stretching.
Take a yoga class, check out a book from the library, or do an old-fashioned internet search on “easy stretches.”
Grab a family member, coworker, or friend to give you a hand, and don’t push yourself too hard. You’ll want to feel some sensation but not excruciating pain. Thirty to forty-five seconds per stretch and just two or three stretches total is typically a good way to get the blood flowing.
If you’re not used to stretching, be patient with yourself. As stated before, I’m not the most flexible.
However, setting aside a few minutes a day to get my stretch on has produced countless benefits, and I’m getting more limber by the day. Have F.U.N. and happy stretching!
FUNdamental #10
Smile!
WHAT:
Make yourself smile.
WHY:
Bobby McFerrin once sang, “Don’t worry, be happy. Cause when you worry, your face will frown and that will bring everybody down, so don’t worry, be happy (now).”
It was a popular and uplifting song for a very specific reason.
Though a smile isn’t generally going to be a cure-all for what’s nagging at you, the domino effect of the impression it leaves on others can actually make you feel better.
A smile will always emit a positive vibe and lighten the mood, so it stands to reason that most people will respond in kind when they see a smile. So, not only does a smile have the power to improve your disposition, it can bring delight to others too.
What a simple and powerful tool, right?
It should also be noted that smiles should not be reserved for people we know. Strangers on the street and service people will appreciate a smile just as much as your mom or best friend.
Have you ever flashed a smile at the cashier at the grocery store or the person working a drive-thru window? If not, try it! If you want to be really daring, take a look at this individual’s nametag and address them by name. The results will be just as rewarding (if not more) as flashing your pearly whites at a good buddy.
You’ll be surprised at the reaction you get, as many employees don’t get treated kindly. The pleasure that they get from being appreciated for the help they are offering is immeasurable.
Understandably, the notion that a simple smile can actually make you feel better sounds a little silly, but believe it or not, science has actually proven it! So have a little faith in those cognitive studies and remember that when you are feeling blue, your attitude and mindset can be shifted by simply “turning that frown upside down.”
HOW:
What makes you smile? Do more of that and less of what doesn’t. It’s really that simple.
Go for a walk, make someone laugh, eat your favorite food, accomplish a goal, listen to your favorite song, watch a funny YouTube video, go play catch with your child, or do anything else that brings you happiness.
Any one of the aforementioned items can be a FUNdamental by themselves. However, the goal here is to immediately do whatever has the highest probability of making YOU smile. Get to it!
Additional FUNdamentals
The purpose of fundamism is to get you to gravitate towards the things that give YOU strength. In order to change your life perspective to one characterized by delight and fulfillment, you have to explore which FUNdamentals work best for you.
Not everyone would be comfortable throwing on a cat wrestling singlet and going to a Major League Baseball game. Some of you might not even enjoy the detailed FUNdamentals outlined above.
The goal here is for you to try things that might bring a little more fun and happiness into YOUR life. Get comfortable being uncomfortable and live a little!
Below are 100 additional FUNdamentals that can be incorporated into your home or work life. If you haven’t found one or ten that resonate with you yet, your journey is just beginning. There are millions of FUNdamentals out there, and I’d love to write about them all. This is just the start.
If you have things that you do for FUN and provide strength, the fundamism community would appreciate hearing from you.
Visit www.fundamism.com, our Facebook page, Twitter account, or any other communication outlet you can find to post your FUNdamentals.
Remember the words of Keith Harrell, “Growing up, someone in life gave you so many smiles. If someone doesn’t have one, bless them with one of your own.”
Sharing your FUNdamental might be the very thing that gets someone else through a challenging time.
Have FUN!
Number 1: Think of times when you were most happy in life. Write down your top ten memories.
Number 2: Find a local playground and swing on the swings. How high can you go?
Number 3: Share one thing you genuinely admire about as many people as you can without telling them what you’re doing.
Number 4: Set a goal of smiling for a specific amount of time. Start off with five to ten minutes and see if you can top it later in the day.
Number 5: Learn the names of others. When placing a call to a business or being waited on anywhere, ask the individual you’re speaking with for their name. Then use their name throughout the conversation.
Number 6: Start each day with an affirmation. Jot down something you admire abo
ut yourself and how you envision the day being a success.
Number 7: End each day by counting your blessings. Ask a friend or family member the best thing to happen to them that day followed by sharing your own.
Number 8: Call or visit a loved one. Tell them what you appreciate about them and that you love them.
Number 9: Watch something funny like a stand-up comedy special, movie, or show.
Number 10: Search the internet for new jokes or funny stories.
Number 11: Listen to your favorite podcast or one that interests you.
Number 12: Be helpful to someone in need. Carry someone’s groceries, lend a hand on a project, or just be there when they need you most. Be selfless. Look to help them solely because it makes them feel good and because you know it’s the right thing to do. DO NOT EXPECT TO BE GIVEN SOMETHING IN RETURN.