Stress can be fatal: humor is life-saving
Stress and worry may cause insomnia, types of paralysis, nervous stomach, ulcers, premature aging, wrinkles, loss of concentration, heart disease, headaches, nervous breakdowns, high blood pressure, hair loss, fear, and weakness of the immune system. Sixty percent of doctor visits are due to stress related illness. Okay, not all of these are fatal, but it can’t be healthy to live like this. Smile. Take a deep breath and look for the silly in the serious. We all have a choice to live our lives as we see fit. That’s where the answer lies—in the choices we make.
Laughter is physically, physiologically and emotionally good for us. Sixteen major organs in your body are positively affected every time you laugh out loud. Laughter can’t replace exercise, however researchers find that laughing for 10 minutes will burn 50 calories. You could lose 5 pounds a year, laughing. Norman Cousins, a pioneer in the study of laughter and health, used funny movies to help him recover from a degenerative auto-immune disease. He said, “Laughter is internal jogging.”
How much does the mind influence how the body functions? Scientists realize that mental stress has a negative effect on the immune system, while a positive attitude and belly laughter benefits our health. It’s the best antidote for stress, promotes good health, promotes teamwork, builds confidence, encourages problem-solving, prevents burn-out, reduces fear, stimulates creativity and helps us become more productive.
At twenty-three I was stricken with rheumatoid arthritis. Some days I hurt so bad I want to curl up in a ball and cry. Instead, I fight my pain with joy. I choose to find something to be happy about, and engage myself in something positive. When I get a flare-up, I reach for my stash of laughter-filled movies; My Cousin Vinny, Horrible Bosses, Bridesmaids and Airplane.
A hearty chuckle stretches the muscles from the diaphragm all the way to the scalp and releases tension that causes fatigue, stress, and headaches, while giving a giant burst of energy. Laughing releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and mood-lifters.”
The next time you have an ache or pain and your feeling blue, don’t whine. Find something joyful to do. Take a walk in the sunshine. Enjoy nature. Kiss your grandkids. Invite your funniest friend to lunch. Just don’t sit there—do something silly; like come and take the Laughter Class for free at Baldwinsville Library. When you laugh, the neural passages inside your brain commence to reverberate. Electrical and chemical impulses begin running expeditiously throughout your body as if in a race for the gold. The pituitary gland is aroused; hormones and endorphins wake up your bloodstream by flashing through your blood like an alarm. The serum cortisol de- creases, furnishing an antidote for the unhealthy effects of stress and worry. Your body temperature rises half a degree, your pulse rate and blood pressure decrease, your arteries and thoracic muscles withdraw, your vocal chords tremble, and your face twists and turns. Your abdominal muscles get conditioned and exercised. Pressure grows in your lungs. Your ventilation benefits by helping reduce a prolonged respiratory environment. An enzyme secretes that shields the stomach from forming ulcers. Endorphins that provide natural pain relief are released. Instantaneously your lower jaw becomes unmanageable, and your mouth opens wide. Breath explodes from your mouth at nearly seventy miles an hour. Oxygen and nutrients move easier to the body tissues. This makes for a great workout! In fact sixteen major organs in your body are positively affected every time you laugh out loud. Wow!
Keynote Speaker, Author, Thought Leader. Humor & Laughter Expert for over 30 years. Sessions are infused with laughter & positivity. (315)727-8668 Smile@YvonneConte.com
