Stress literally kills. And for mothers like us, who are exposed to a gazillion of stress everyday, a little humor can help. Watch some comedy movies, play with your kids, dance like you never had before, sing, jump for joy, or just have a good laugh with someone. Little things that could bring us joy can save us from getting old inside out!
I found this helpful article: 9 Ways Humor Can Heal
According to it humor helps by:
- Humor combats fear – “Humor disengages fear because it changes your perspective both on the past and the present. A traumatic childhood episode loses its tight grip on your heart if you can place it into the “ridiculous” category of other stories from the past. With a playful perspective, you can remove yourself from a marital problem that has you debilitated with anxiety. Laughter forces a few steps–some much-needed distance– between a situation and our reaction. We all would do well to follow the advice of Leo Buscaglia: “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. And swing!”"
- Humor comforts – “New York City’s Big Apple Circus has used humor to console sick children since 1986, when they started sending teams of clowns into hospital rooms with “rubber chicken soup” and other fun surprises. “Its for the children, yes,” explains Jane Englebardt, deputy director of the circus, in an “American Fitness” article. “But it’s also for the parents who, when they hear their children laugh for the first time in days or weeks, know everything’s going to be O.K.”
- Humor relaxes- “When you push any engine, including your body, to its maximum, every once in a while it slips a gear. The ways the body manifests that are: irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure, and increased sensitivity to pain. When people use humor, the autonomic nervous system just tones down a bit to take it off high gear, and that allows the heart to relax.”
- Humor reduces pain – “After surgery, patients were told one-liners prior to administration of potentially painful medication. The patients exposed to humor perceived less pun as compared to patients who didn’t receive humor stimuli.”
- Humor boosts the immune system – “In 2006 researchers led by Lee Berk and Stanley A. Tan at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California, found that two hormones-beta-endorphins (which alleviate depression) and human growth hormone (HGH, which helps with immunity) increased by 27 and 87 percent respectively when volunteers anticipated watching a humorous video. Simply anticipating laughter boosted health-protecting hormones and chemicals.”
- Humor reduces stress
- Humor spreads happiness – That is to say that a bout of laughter is contagious.
- Humor cultivates optimism – “[Appreciation] is the first and most fundamental happiness tool…Research now shows it is physiologically impossible to be in a state of appreciation and a state of fear at the same time. Thus, appreciation is the antidote to fear.” – Dan Barker
- Humor helps in Communication
Photo from Flickr uploaded by Pink Sherbet Photography.
2 Comments
October 6, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Thank you for this very good reminder!
ransom33 @ http://www.ransom33.wordpress.com
October 7, 2008 at 9:45 am
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