Reflections on StGIS Inspiring People Volume 6 – Laura Chaplin
The staff and students of St Gilgen International School enjoyed a lecture of a very different kind with this guest speaker. The granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin and laughter-expert Laura Chaplin spoke about the benefits of laughter and the relationship between health and humour. “Making other people laugh and laughing yourself, makes you happy,” this is the motto by which the 30-year-old lives because: “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” The laughter guidebook, with the title “Laughter is the First Step Towards Happiness” highlights many health benefits of happy people. “Laughter makes people attractive and gives positives energy. It boosts the immune system, reduces blood pressure and alleviates tension, stress, anger and anxiety.” Studies show that adults laugh around 15 times a day, in comparison to babies, who laugh up to 500 times and children who laugh more than 300 times daily.
Petition: To make laughter a fundamental right for all.
In the lecture at St Gilgen International School, the laughter-expert who resides in Geneva spoke about her famous grandfather and delighted students with laughing exercises. Laura believes that she laughs around 100 times a day and gave the students advice on enhancing their wellbeing: “try on your way to school, in the bus, during break time or in front of a mirror to be cheerful and to laugh. Being cheerful increases creativity in all aspects of life.”
Laura challenges the UN-Secretary-General to accept her petition to make laughter a fundamental right for all, so that it can be filed with the United Nations.
Further information can be found under the following link: www.charliesmile.org
Laura Chaplin lists five reasons for laughing daily:
1. Laughter
burns calories! 10 to 15 minutes of laughter burns roughly 50 calories.
2. Endorphins are released when you laugh, which strengthens the immune
system and helps to protect against flu and colds. 3. Studies show that
laughing for 20 to 30 minutes daily lowers blood pressure in adults. 4.
Laughing for 1 minute can increase your life expectancy by 20 minutes.
5. Laughter is a free face lift!
