Sunday, February 8, 2009

The Healing Benefits of Laughter


Proverbs 17: 22 "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."



Have you laughed today? Not just a chuckle, but a great big belly laugh? Some studies show that laughter can actually bring healing to our bodies.
~~Laughter is proven to boost the immune system
~~Laughter reduces blood pressure
~~If you laugh on a daily basis, really laugh....you have a 40% less chance of having a heart attack!
~~If you laugh on a regular basis you sleep better
~~Laughter raises the serotonin levels in your body
~~If you laugh on a regular basis you make better decisions.

These statements are from studies done on how laughter affects the body. If they sound weird to you, laugh at them ....but take them to heart.
Norman Cousins, one time editor of the Saturday Review found himself very ill at one time in his life. The doctors diagnosed him with a connective tissue disorder after a trip to Russia in 1964. He felt his illness could be stress related, so he decided to bring more joy and laughter into his life. While he was in the hospital he had every video made of the Three Stooges brought into his room. He would watch these videos and laugh and laugh....and he began to feel better. He used laughter to boost his immune system, which in turn gave the immune system the strength it needed to fight his illness. His severe symptoms went away and He went back to his normal life.
We really have a choice to walk around with a smile on our face and joy in our heart...OR a frown on our face and sadness, anger, and frustration in our heart. Not a very hard decision to make, is it!
There is healing power in laughter. The next time you turn on the TV and surf the channels, make a conscious effort to stop on a channel with a show that will make you laugh. One of our favorite shows is Tool Time with Tim the Tool Man Taylor! We always get a good laugh from the antics of our grandchildren too. Find your own special triggers for a good belly laugh. Pick out a movie or a radio show that will make you laugh. Read humorous books and learn a few good jokes to share with others. When you plan out your days, add these things to the list...Enjoy! Laugh! Play!
Make an effort to ACTIVATE YOUR JOY!

(parts of this message are brought to you courtesy of Joel Osteen :-)

4 comments:

Jan Lyn said...

Oh how I loved seeing yet another photo of your loved ones! Yes, I think laughter helps. Infact, my first physical therapist years back told me the benefits and how he used it himself for pain control. Well...also some times in our health predicaments a little mental vacation of laughter is really a good thing.
Blessings to you...
Jan Lyn

Renee said...

Thanks Jan Lyn
THis is my hubby and 3 of our grandkids from 2 families...they adore their Papa......Aren't we blessed!

debi9kids said...

What a great reminder.
Not sure I REALLY laugh most days, but have been trying to enjoy life a lot more since the passing of little Tuesday.

Renee said...

There are days were we cannot laugh, that is for sure. It is not so black and white, is it. I have been reading about precious Tuesday. It is always so tragic when a child dies...death and loss has a way of helping us to appreciate every single moment with those we love. You are in my thoughts..and the parents and family of Tuesday.
Renee