Laughter really is the best medicine

Taking care of the human mind as well as the body not only helps maintain good health but also keeps us happy, makes us feel in control and ensures we have the tools and support to successfully overcome difficulties and achieve what we want out of life.
Mentalist Larry Soffer explained that during the recent pandemic, both resources and options were few. Many people were forced to take things into their own hands, finding new ways to entertain themselves, especially after the lure of Netflix wore off.

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“I saw so many of my friends and family start baking banana bread, take up gardening, or start a new hobby like making jewellery or creating pottery.
“A few have since turned these side hustles into profitable businesses which are just amazing,” he laughed.
Now that we have been unmasked, and things are open and almost back to normal, Larry hopes that people go back to being entertained in the ways they know and love.
Even at a time when many South Africans are tightening their financial purse strings, due to the escalating cost of living crisis, the important role the entertainment industry can play in helping improve and support mental health and well-being cannot be overlooked.

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Here are Larry’s five reasons why entertainment is so important to mental health and well-being:
1. We just can’t help ourselves
Entertainment has always been a part of who we are as humans, Larry said it is because we desire fun and laughter in our lives.
2. We are wired to seek out things that bring us joy
And, being entertained delivers this in truckloads! You only need to look at a young infant to see what I mean.
They get so much joy from simply watching a cartoon on TV, playing peek-a-boo with an adult or even seeing their reflection in the mirror. It’s all entertainment for them and it can bring them hours of fun and laughter.
3. We always need a break from reality
We get so consumed by everyday stressors that we long for those small moments or activities that relieve us from them.
For some, it helps to spend time in the gym while others might want to be outside at one with nature. Entertainment is different though as it can transport us out of our everyday mundane lives and into a world where we can experience magic and mystery, and where we can believe in the impossible.
4. Entertainment works around you
From comedians, singers and ventriloquists to dancers, musicians, and magicians, pretty much all artists had some form of online offering during the lockdown.
Some were conducted in their living rooms, others on balconies or gardens, but all happened because as entertainers, we understand the need to spread joy and positivity during very difficult times.
This is the determined spirit of an artist – they simply cannot be stopped and will always find a way to express their craft. I know I loved entertaining during the lockdown, seeing packed-out living rooms full of family and friends all desperate for some respite from the worry and doom.
5. As humans we naturally gravitate to positivity and the desire to be uplifted
How many of us live for the weekend, so that we can plan something fun, different, and exciting over our two free days?
We do it because we get so much positive energy from a good experience or from being with good people.
If you’re feeling happy and positive, you’re likely to radiate and transfer these happy feelings to someone else – like a domino effect, which is a great way of elevating everyone’s mental health and well-being.