Laughter: It’s Free, Good Medicine and Contagious!
Laughter is free! It has no boundaries. It can show up at any time. Anyone can experience it. It has a purpose and if you let it in, it can have healing properties. You don’t have to be a comedian to experience it. You just have to be open to it!
“A happy heart is good medicine, and a joyful mind causes healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” —Proverbs 17:22 Amplified
I felt the power of the above scripture when I was going through my divorce several years ago. I knew divorce was high on the stress scale, and I was determined to not let it eat away at me. So, how did I bring laughter into a very, very painful time? I made a choice and decided to watch videos from Christian motivational and bible-conference speaker, Patsy Clairmont. She can tell the most amazing stories and fill it with hilarious examples. I knew I needed to find a way to laugh; I knew deep down inside my body needed it. I laughed and cried while I listened to her stories. Sure, after laughing for an hour, my situation was still the same, but day by day I was feeling different on the inside. I was releasing the stress from the divorce and replacing it with the healing power of laughter.
Laughter is a key strength for coping with life (and death). It acts as a buffer between us, and the negative effects of stress and it helps to make a tough situation a bit more bearable. Have you ever been at a funeral, and people start to share funny stories about the person who passed away? You start laughing. The memories cause you to laugh, even when you are dealing with the loss of your loved one. Laughter and humor are the healing forces taking place inside your spirit, soul and body.
LAUGHTER, GRIEVING, AND ANXIETY …OH MY!
Humor can help you deal with the most stressful of times: divorce, dealing with crippling fear, anxiety, suffering a serious illness, or watching a loved one who is dying. In those hard times, you can pull away or lean into humor and enjoy life at all stages… not just during the good or healthy times.
Did you know anxiety and excitement (humor) can feel very similar to your body? That's because anxiety and excitement are both aroused emotions. You know the feeling: elevated heart rate, stomach butterflies, sweaty palms, and nervousness. They're all symptoms that result from the arousal of the nervous system. The only difference is that excitement or humor is a positive emotion. Anxiety and excitement are two emotions that are almost identical to the body. This is why you can bring laughter into your life during the most anxious moments. You can use a simulated (or fake) laugh and your body will respond as if it is a real laugh. It doesn’t know the different. (See Laugh Track section below.)
“HUMOR IS MANKIND’S GREATEST BLESSING” —Mark Twain
THE BENEFITS OF LAUGHING!!
A giggle a day can keep your doctor away. Laughing not only feels good, IT IS good for you. This “medicine” is fast, free and you can take it anywhere.
SHORT TERM BENEFITS
· Enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
· Activates and relieves your stress response and soothes tension to aid in muscle relaxation.
LONG TERM BENEFITS
· Improves your immune system.
· Relieves pain and increases personal satisfaction.
· Improves your mood and improves your self-esteem.
…But I Am Not Funny.. So What… Humor Has No Limits!
Laugh at yourself
Watch a funny video or comedian (or Tik Tok)
Tell jokes
Remember the funny times
Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up
Don’t dwell on the negative
Pay attention to children and emulate them— they laugh at anything
Choose NOT to go a day without laughing
Use humor to overcome challenges
“As soap is to the body, so laughter is to the soul,” — A Jewish Proverb
Have a Laugh Track in Your Life
Have you ever watched a TV sitcom show? Most likely you heard a laugh track during the show, which invites you to start laughing. Laughter is contagious. You are more likely to start laughing when others around you are laughing.
Believe it or not, it’s possible to laugh without experiencing a funny event—and simulated laughter can be just as beneficial as the real thing. Hearing others laugh, even for no apparent reason, can often trigger genuine laughter. Try it!
Check out this VIDEO and see if you can hold back from giggling and laughing…go on, I dare you!
