Day 35 of 365 - Laughter as Medicine
This morning a friend texted me a little joke graphic. It struck me as so funny that I laughed out loud, a full belly laugh. And then, I read it again, and laughed again. That felt so good!
You may have guessed by now, if you have been following this blog, that I'm kind of a serious person. I like to study things, analyze things and figure things out. That very busy analytical mind occupies a lot of my waking and dreamtime hours.
I do have a sense of humor though, and can be funny. I just need to be really comfortable to express that. I enjoy the kind of humor that is plain silly or fun, not the kind that demeans others. I experienced too much of that in the form of teasing while growing up.
The benefits of laughter are well known now, for the positive health effects from the cascade of feel good hormones that are released. Our cells really appreciate it! You may have read stories about people with serious illness watching comedy films to help them feel well again. I equally enjoy reading funny stories, such as Janet Evanovich's cozy mysteries in the Stephanie Plum series. Then there are TV shows, like the Netflix series Grace and Frankie. You probably have your own favorites.
For that reason I like to follow some lighter pages on Facebook, such as the cartoons of Sandra Boynton or Molly Hahn's Buddha Doodles. Even if some of their material is of a more serious nature, the cartoons bring a positive quality to it. I also enjoy looking at postings of funny or endearing animal antics for the same reason. They are just endearing, feel good experiences.
Another source of comic relief for me is the good old Reader's Digest. I've subscribed to a variety of magazines over the years and dropped them, but this is one I stick with now. Not only does it contain a great variety of informative stories, it has many tidbits of humor in its pages too. Some of those make me laugh out loud too.
Have you ever noticed how, at funeral home visitations, or celebration of life receptions, that many funny stories about the deceased are shared? I've certainly had that experience myself in recent years with the passing of various family members. Not only does it remind us of fond memories of our loved one, it is a great release of the sadness, stress and tension we experience with a death.
There is even laughter yoga now, whole classes of it. I personally have not been to one, but I've been in fitness classes where the instructor might incorporate some laughter therapy. While I have to be 'in the mood' for that, I sometimes can get caught up in the contagion of just hearing other people laugh.
And of course, there is nothing like the joyful laughter of babies and young children to lighten our days. It's so pure and authentic. We have a little grandson now and it is simply a delight to watch the videos his parents share with us as well as to see him in person.
So, don't be afraid to lighten up a little more. This is my advice to myself today, for my own health and vitality.
You may have guessed by now, if you have been following this blog, that I'm kind of a serious person. I like to study things, analyze things and figure things out. That very busy analytical mind occupies a lot of my waking and dreamtime hours.
I do have a sense of humor though, and can be funny. I just need to be really comfortable to express that. I enjoy the kind of humor that is plain silly or fun, not the kind that demeans others. I experienced too much of that in the form of teasing while growing up.
The benefits of laughter are well known now, for the positive health effects from the cascade of feel good hormones that are released. Our cells really appreciate it! You may have read stories about people with serious illness watching comedy films to help them feel well again. I equally enjoy reading funny stories, such as Janet Evanovich's cozy mysteries in the Stephanie Plum series. Then there are TV shows, like the Netflix series Grace and Frankie. You probably have your own favorites.
For that reason I like to follow some lighter pages on Facebook, such as the cartoons of Sandra Boynton or Molly Hahn's Buddha Doodles. Even if some of their material is of a more serious nature, the cartoons bring a positive quality to it. I also enjoy looking at postings of funny or endearing animal antics for the same reason. They are just endearing, feel good experiences.
Another source of comic relief for me is the good old Reader's Digest. I've subscribed to a variety of magazines over the years and dropped them, but this is one I stick with now. Not only does it contain a great variety of informative stories, it has many tidbits of humor in its pages too. Some of those make me laugh out loud too.
Have you ever noticed how, at funeral home visitations, or celebration of life receptions, that many funny stories about the deceased are shared? I've certainly had that experience myself in recent years with the passing of various family members. Not only does it remind us of fond memories of our loved one, it is a great release of the sadness, stress and tension we experience with a death.
There is even laughter yoga now, whole classes of it. I personally have not been to one, but I've been in fitness classes where the instructor might incorporate some laughter therapy. While I have to be 'in the mood' for that, I sometimes can get caught up in the contagion of just hearing other people laugh.
And of course, there is nothing like the joyful laughter of babies and young children to lighten our days. It's so pure and authentic. We have a little grandson now and it is simply a delight to watch the videos his parents share with us as well as to see him in person.
So, don't be afraid to lighten up a little more. This is my advice to myself today, for my own health and vitality.
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