- Details
- Hits: 148
Laughter
Have you laughed today?
Expressions of humor can have positive health benefits. Funny stories, amusing anecdotes, songs and jokes that produce laughter results in an elevation of brain chemicals called "endorphins." Feelings of well-being and pleasure are associated with our production of these brain chemicals. Positive feelings are experienced by both the audience and by the jokester. A good hearty laugh exercises the lungs, heart and abdomen. Feeling relaxed and peaceful often follows a good laugh.
Laughter has also been associated with recovery from serious illnesses. The pioneering work of O. Carl Simonton, Kenneth Pelletier and others in cancer recovery has been followed by increasing research in this area of the healing power of humor and imagination. Norman Cousins described his recovery from a serious illness by supplementing medicine with the Marx Brothers films. If you are experiencing a serious illness, laugh therapy is one you should investigate. If you find no humor anywhere or if things in your life are perpetually gray or brown, discuss the possibility of depression with your health care provider. There is effective treatment for this condition.
Although what is humorous to one person may not be funny to another, everyone can pay attention to a personal "laughter index". Ask yourself, "have I laughed today? What makes me laugh?" If laughter is lacking in your life just now, resolve to change the situation. Experiment by telling a joke a day for a week. Keep track of the results and especially how you feel. Initially, you might have to work at cultivating laughter, but the results are worth the effort. The old saying, "... laughter is the best medicine, " may very well be true. It certainly is a no cost way to add to your staying healthy strategy.