Everybody loves a good laugh. We go to the cinema to watch comedies (even if they aren't very good sometimes!), we love unwinding with Kumar, Irene and Hossan at comedy clubs, and we subconsciously seek the company of people who make us laugh.
Laughter is a universal pleasure and we don't need to be told why we love to laugh. But why is laughter good for us?
I'm sure you don't need a doctor to tell you that a good laugh instantly balances any disharmony in your mind and body. Having a good laugh has long been known to be very therapeutic. There is evidence to show that even ancient civilisations held laughter in high regard, incorporating it into their arts and culture, with some claiming that laughter "pierces the hopelessness of any situation or attitude and holds the chemistry of immortality".
Pretty poetry that holds powerful truth... and these days of course, we know precisely how. Laughter opens up your lungs, relieves the tension in your muscles, and gives you a big rush of oxygen. When it does this, it also helps your blood flow more efficiently, lowering your blood pressure. Laughter also lowers the disease-causing chemical cortisol in your body, protecting your immune system from the negative effects of stress.
Laughter is nature's own miracle healer, and its power is at your disposal anytime!
Since laughter helps keep our bodies in tiptop condition, it also maintains our minds in the ideal state for seeking and absorbing knowledge. When we laugh, we breathe harder, our heart beats faster and we get more oxygen to the brain. This stimulates the release of serotonin, leading to feelings of contentment and happiness.
A happy worker is also a good worker.
Eugine Loh, 938Live, MediaCorp Pte Ltd
Getting A Grip On Reality
Our worries and anxieties can sometimes overwhelm us. When this happens, some of us cannot seem to enjoy anything; we're too fearful of what's to come. Some of us cannot seem to relax or sleep. Some of us even suffer panic attacks, where we feel we cannot breathe, that the worlds is collapsing around us, or in extreme cases, even harbour temporary thoughts of suicide.
When this happens; it's important for us to remind ourselves that our worries and anxieties are not reality. They are a distortion of reality, an illusion of exaggeration that we give wings in our mind. We imagine all the worst things that could happen, but these scenarios are not based on fact; they're not based on anything but our imagination.
So let us try to regain our grip on reality.
When you're starting to feel anxious about something, stop whatever you're doing and turn your attention to something else, preferably something soothing. Open the window, take a deep breath, admire the trees. Worries grow bigger by repetition and concentration; they like building upon themselves. So deny your worries that opportunity - switch your focus! Refuse to let yourself broad.
Another good way to alleviate your worries is to challenge them with rational thought. As I said before, worries are fancy concoctions of the mind, and when countered with objectivity and common sense, they often look rather silly.
So turn to the facts - how long is this detestable thing expected to last anyway? Is all of it going to be so bad? Might there be some enjoyable aspects you've overlooked? Is it possible this thing could be good for you in some way? Perhaps it's forcing you to do something you've been telling yourself to do but have just been terribly lazy about it?
Do your research, deconstruct the monster, and suddenly it's just made of Lego.
When you are having an anxiety attack, you may encounter a lot of scary thoughts coming to you all at once. Instead of panicking, remember that these thoughts are not rooted in reality. They're fabrications! They in no way dictate what's really going to happen. Let the fear go.
Also, remember that worry ultimately doesn't change anything. It may turn you into a sulking, moaning, heaving wreak, but it doesn't have any other real power. Train yourself to shake its hand, tell it "Thank you very much, but you are of no use to me" and send it on its way.
Eugine Loh, 938Live, MediaCorp Pte Ltd
When this happens; it's important for us to remind ourselves that our worries and anxieties are not reality. They are a distortion of reality, an illusion of exaggeration that we give wings in our mind. We imagine all the worst things that could happen, but these scenarios are not based on fact; they're not based on anything but our imagination.
So let us try to regain our grip on reality.
When you're starting to feel anxious about something, stop whatever you're doing and turn your attention to something else, preferably something soothing. Open the window, take a deep breath, admire the trees. Worries grow bigger by repetition and concentration; they like building upon themselves. So deny your worries that opportunity - switch your focus! Refuse to let yourself broad.
Another good way to alleviate your worries is to challenge them with rational thought. As I said before, worries are fancy concoctions of the mind, and when countered with objectivity and common sense, they often look rather silly.
So turn to the facts - how long is this detestable thing expected to last anyway? Is all of it going to be so bad? Might there be some enjoyable aspects you've overlooked? Is it possible this thing could be good for you in some way? Perhaps it's forcing you to do something you've been telling yourself to do but have just been terribly lazy about it?
Do your research, deconstruct the monster, and suddenly it's just made of Lego.
When you are having an anxiety attack, you may encounter a lot of scary thoughts coming to you all at once. Instead of panicking, remember that these thoughts are not rooted in reality. They're fabrications! They in no way dictate what's really going to happen. Let the fear go.
Also, remember that worry ultimately doesn't change anything. It may turn you into a sulking, moaning, heaving wreak, but it doesn't have any other real power. Train yourself to shake its hand, tell it "Thank you very much, but you are of no use to me" and send it on its way.
Eugine Loh, 938Live, MediaCorp Pte Ltd
Top Interview Tips
Face-to-face job interviews - why do some candidates appear to breeze through them and get the job and salary they desire, while others bungle them again and again?
Well, granted some applicants can charm the socks off almost anyone and there are employers who make hiring decisions on a whim, but most successful job candidates have simply put a few interview tips into practice. Excluding the more obvious ones, like dressing for the position and making eye contact, these are top interview tips...
First, know yourself. Understand just what your skills are and how valuable you'll be to the company you're hoping to join. Think about how you can communicate this to the interviewer in a way that's not arrogant or aggressive.
And just as you need to know yourself well before the interview, you should know that company well too. One simply cannot be lazy when it comes to this; make sure you do your research. It shows your desire to be part of the organisation. It also helps you come up with relevant questions about the company that the interviewer will almost always ask of you.
Though it's important for you to sound spontaneous during the interview, you should prepare your answers to common questions and rehearse them beforehand. This is so you don't get stumped by simple, typical questions.
Many people mistakenly view the job interview (or interviews of any kind) as the process of the hirer getting as much information as possible about the applicant. That's why they end up talking too much about themselves and not listening to the interviewer. But by listening intently to the interviewer, you show interest in him and his company.
How can you re-position your supposed weaknesses as strengths? for example, your tendency to dawdle over certain projects could be sold as a meticulous nature or your attention to detail.
Also, unless when asked specifically by the interviewers, do not volunteer your personal opinions about any topics. Although this might seem like you're being spontaneous and self-assured, it might backfire if your moral compass is tragically out-of-sync with your interviewer's.
And though you should be enthusiastic, do not try too hard; it's important to be professional but you should also be casual, not too uptight. When you're trying too hard, it shows... so be yourself! You should come across as authentic and real.
I hope these tips serve you well in your next job interview.
Eugine Loh, 938Live, MediaCorp Pte Ltd
Well, granted some applicants can charm the socks off almost anyone and there are employers who make hiring decisions on a whim, but most successful job candidates have simply put a few interview tips into practice. Excluding the more obvious ones, like dressing for the position and making eye contact, these are top interview tips...
First, know yourself. Understand just what your skills are and how valuable you'll be to the company you're hoping to join. Think about how you can communicate this to the interviewer in a way that's not arrogant or aggressive.
And just as you need to know yourself well before the interview, you should know that company well too. One simply cannot be lazy when it comes to this; make sure you do your research. It shows your desire to be part of the organisation. It also helps you come up with relevant questions about the company that the interviewer will almost always ask of you.
Though it's important for you to sound spontaneous during the interview, you should prepare your answers to common questions and rehearse them beforehand. This is so you don't get stumped by simple, typical questions.
Many people mistakenly view the job interview (or interviews of any kind) as the process of the hirer getting as much information as possible about the applicant. That's why they end up talking too much about themselves and not listening to the interviewer. But by listening intently to the interviewer, you show interest in him and his company.
How can you re-position your supposed weaknesses as strengths? for example, your tendency to dawdle over certain projects could be sold as a meticulous nature or your attention to detail.
Also, unless when asked specifically by the interviewers, do not volunteer your personal opinions about any topics. Although this might seem like you're being spontaneous and self-assured, it might backfire if your moral compass is tragically out-of-sync with your interviewer's.
And though you should be enthusiastic, do not try too hard; it's important to be professional but you should also be casual, not too uptight. When you're trying too hard, it shows... so be yourself! You should come across as authentic and real.
I hope these tips serve you well in your next job interview.
Eugine Loh, 938Live, MediaCorp Pte Ltd
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