Coping With Chronic Illness - For Better Health - Laugh!

Coping With Chronic Illness - For Better Health - Laugh!

"Good-natured laughter does more than brighten a person’s day. According to some Japanese doctors, it also normalizes imbalances in the endocrine, nervous, and immune systems, stabilizes heartbeat and breathing, and can bring temporary relief to sufferers of rheumatism. 

Laughter stimulates sympathetic nerves, thereby boosting the blood flow to muscles and increasing brain activity.

When we laugh heartily, we also exercise our muscles. In a test cited in the IHT Asahi Shimbun newspaper, one laughing subject’s abdominal muscles “showed the same level of exertion as required by sit-ups.


Osaka psychiatrist Michio Tanaka praised the positive influence of laughter. According to Tanaka, “it’s like an effective drug with no side effects.” "  - Awake magazine, December 8, 2002.

Twelve years ago I cut that little article out and pinned it to my wall.  It has served as a good reminder to me over the years.  But I have to say, time goes on and you tend to overlook that old paragraph you’ve had pinned next to your mirror for “ages”. 

So, I’m starting to take it seriously again.  I want to laugh more.  I want to see what it can do for me, mentally and physically.  It certainly can’t do anything bad.  And it might actually do quite a bit of good.

(Disclaimer:  I do not believe that laughter can cure depression or serious illness.)

Some health benefits of laughter:

 

Since 2002 I have done more research on the subject.  And the possible health

Laughter Benefits Your Whole Body

benefits of laughing are pretty incredible, at least to my mind.  I’m not going to list them all – just a few of my favorites.

·     A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes later.

·     Laughter increases immune cells and infection fighting antibodies.

·     Laughing increases brain activity.

·     Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow.

·     Laughing improves heart function.

·     Laughter decreases pain.  Even researchers who are dubious about the health benefits of laughter agree that pain sufferers who laugh have less discomfort.

·     Laughter improves mood.

·     It enhances resilience.

·     It gives you a feel good feeling that remains even after the laughter subsides.

·     It shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a different light.

I mean to say, these are some really great benefits!  Who wouldn’t want to experience these, especially when the drug had no side effects?!

But now comes the difficulty. 

How do I go about laughing more?

1.   Take cues from funny people/people who laugh a lot.  My brother is one of the funniest people I know in every day life.  So I have been analyzing him (without his knowledge).  He surrounds himself with laughter, he seeks it out.  He purposely imbibes it almost daily.  How?   

    He reads the Comics.  He finds comedians he likes.  He watches funny movies.  He tells jokes (he seems to have no problem remembering them).  And, this is important I think, he shares his humor.  He invites friends over to watch a funny movie or comedian.  He tells funny stories.  If he is laughing at something he shares it.

So, taking cues from him, I should search out humor more.  And when I find it I should share it with others.

Coping With Chronic Illness - Laugh!

2.  Hang around the children you love.  I laugh more when I am with the children in my life.  I don’t even have to be with them in person, just on facetime.  It’s true, kids do the funniest things and I get such a kick out of witnessing this.  And I laugh a lot when I am recounting funny stories about them to others.

3.  Turn embarrassments into jokes.  This is something I really want to do.  I have a tendency to take myself too seriously, to hold on to old embarrassments for years.   I still wince when my mind returns to them, I blush and quickly think of something else.  

    But if I could turn some of them into a funny story or joke and laugh about them with other people they would lose their power over me.  (Of course not everything can be turned into a joke or shared around.  But a lot of things can.) 

    So this is one of the reminders I like the best, and it came from this Reader’s Digest post.  (And, As I think about it, the magazine Reader’s Digest always has some good jokes.) 

4.  Make laughing a family project.  Not that you necessarily have a family meeting, subject of which is that we don’t laugh enough.  No.  You don’t even have to mention it if you don’t want to.  Just make it your goal to get your family laughing more.  See this post forthe benefits of shared laughter.  

 

Coping With Chronic Illness - Laugh With Friends

5.  Get your friends involved.  A friend of mine recently suggested that we text each other a joke every week.  I have to say I’m not a good joke person.  I simply don’t remember them.  So every week finds me trolling around for something to send her.  And in my quest I have come across some truly hilarious stuff.  So, I have been really enjoying this little weekly joke date.

And that is a list of five ways to get laughing.  I have been trying some of them out and it’s really not at all hard and I have been in a better mood.  (Who would have thought that laughing would put you in a better mood?  That’s sarcasm, in case you were wondering, the lazy woman’s humor.  Or is it the lazy woman’s wit?  See, I told you I was bad at jokes.  Never can remember the punchline.) 

For some more really great suggestions look at these links:

Laughter is the best medicine

Give Your Body a Boost with Laughter   

And finally, to help myself out I am starting up a pinterest board:  “Laughter is the Best Medicine.”  It contains funny movies and TV show ideas, funny books, comedians, jokes, etc…  Click here to see if your sense of humor is like mine.  

And now it’s your turn.  What makes you laugh?  Won’t you share?  (Please keep it clean.)

Coping With Chronic Illness posts: 

It's OK to grieve your losses
Knowledge is power
Do not eat, breathe, and sleep your illness
Part 1 - Friendship is a basic human need (the dilemma)
Part 2 - Friendship is a basic human need (who can be a friend?)
Part 3 - Friendship is a basic human need (10 ways to be a good friend while chronically ill)
Part 4 - Friendship is a basic human need (How to be a friend to a friend who is chronically ill)
2 Reasons why lying keeps you sick
Let go of the dream, accept reality, and be happy (it breaks your heart and then rebuilds it)
Accepting reality - what it does NOT mean
3 Ways to advance in a new direction
18 Ways to ward off sadness
I Can't Do It Alone
Talk.  And Talk Some More.
You Do Not Need To Justify Your Existence
Coping with Chronic Illness - Dealing with Its Unpredictable Nature

Coping With Chronic Illness - Other People Have Problems Too 
When I have no brain and no body 
Caring too much what people think keeps you sick 
Caring too much what people think - how to overcome it.

5 Ways to be a Good Friend to a Friend with a Chronic Illness
Coping With Chronic Illness Exercise - Part 1 - Is it Good or Bad?
Coping with Chronic Illness Exercise - Part 2 - 5 Myths and Facts about Exercise While Ill
5 Ways to Maintain Independence While Chronically Ill 

Coping With Chronic Illness - Part 3 - How to Build Strength while Chronically Ill

Energy Economy posts:

How to get food into our mouths while chronically ill part 1 Food part 2 Food part 3 Grocery shopping and chronic illness
Wardrobe considerations for the chronically ill - part 1
Wardrobe considerations for the chronically ill - part 2  
15 suggestions for Leaving the house while chronically ill
14 suggestions for cleaning the house while chronically ill
Personal hygiene and chronic illness Dealing with people while chronically ill
12 Ways to simplify your grooming and dressing routines  

10 Ways to COPE with Cognitive Dysfunction (Brain Fog, Fibro Fog)  
10 Ways to COMBAT Cognitive Dysfunction (Brain Fog, Fibro Fog) 

How To Attend Important Events While Chronically Ill 

10 Ways to Make it Through the Summer Heat while Chronically Ill

Picture Credits:

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/blendededu/422519987/">derek*b</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/93963757@N05/8551937456/">LyndaSanchez</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>