RN Advice: Medicinal Laughter

This April Fool’s Day enjoy a laugh especially if it is on yourself.  Laughter is strong medicine for the mind and body.  It is a powerful antidote to stress, pain and conflict. Nothing works faster to bring the body and mind back into balance than a good laugh.

Coach Peggi Ingram, RN

We change physiologically when we laugh. We look more attractive. Our whole body relaxes, relieving physical tension and stress for up to 45 minutes.  Blood vessels relax and blood flow increases protecting our hearts.  Our resistance to disease is improved by decreasing stress hormones and increasing immune cells and antibodies.  Laughter also releases the body’s natural feel-good endorphins increasing feelings of self worth and decreasing emotional and physical pain.

 Take yourself less seriously and develop a sense of humor.  Even if you did not grow up in a household where laughter was a common sound, you can learn to laugh at any stage of life by practicing these simple tips:

• Smile
• Count your blessings
• Spend time with fun playful people especially children
• Laugh at yourself
• Attempt to laugh at situations rather than bemoan them
• Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up.
• Keep things in perspective and ask yourself is it really worth getting upset or upsetting others?   Is this my problem? Is it that bad?
• Fake it until you make it.

Laughter is not just for kids.  Make laughter become an integral part of your everyday life: health benefits, new relationships and a more relaxed, positive, creative and balanced perspective will become yours.

A friend called me and said, “I figured out why I’m fat! The shampoo I use in the shower that runs down my body says ‘For extra volume and body’.  I’m going to start using ‘Dawn’ dish soap. It says ‘Dissolves fat that is otherwise difficult to remove.’”