|
by Nancy Carman, MA, CMC
Contributed by MyGuide For Seniors
Many of us have experienced the fun of laughing when a great joke appears in our e-mail “inbox,” or we find ourselves in an unexpected silly situation. We know that humor can lighten our spirit and chase the blues away. But, did you know that researchers have discovered a link between humor and physical health? As far back as the 13th century, a surgeon named Henri deMonville felt strongly that regular laughter helped his patients heal after surgery. Even so, modern society still didn't pay much attention to humor's therapeutic effect until Norman Cousins wrote his well-known book "Anatomy of an Illness" in 1979, chronicling his amazing recovery from a life-threatening illness by enjoying daily doses of laughter.
A good belly laugh has been known to help the body fight infection, reduce blood pressure and decrease unhealthy stress hormones, while at the same time relaxing muscles throughout the body.
So, if you feel that your sense of humor needs a major tune up, don't despair…there's a lot you can do. Make it priority to laugh at least once a day. Did you know that it takes 43 muscles to frown, compared to 17 muscles to laugh? Surround yourself with “humor buddies.” These are friends who value humor and can help you find the lighter side of a difficult situation. Children are natural humorists with the essential ingredients of humor: playfulness, laughter and the ability to find fun in all situations.
Some people have their very own humor aid kit – boxes, closets and even rooms that contain cartoon books, wind-up toys, humorous video tapes, Groucho glasses and yes, even whoopee cushions. It's a well-known fact that when people look at pictures of other people laughing, they have an overwhelming urge to laugh – laughter is contagious. Of course, there's nothing like a well-loved, funny family story to make one smile. So, when you feel down in the dumps, turn to your stash of humor props.
With practice, anyone can adopt an attitude of playfulness. So be sure to take regular humor breaks and return to life, smiling.
This article was reproduced with the permission of MyGuide For Seniors
|
