Laughter and Health: The Connection Is Sure to Make You Want to Start Smiling!
Discover the connection between laughter and health.
Have you ever caught yourself getting ready to bubble over with uncontrollable laughter at the most ill-timed moment – in a crowded elevator, a hushed waiting room, or a religious service? While there are, certainly, times when we will need to stamp down the silliness, writer Jane Heller explains that, “Humor can keep us balanced, even in the grimmest of times. It reminds us that despite illness and disability, there are moments of real joy in life and we need to embrace them.”
The connections between laughter and health are phenomenal, including:
- Releasing endorphins that ease tension
- Fortifying brain connectivity
- Supplying a social boost
- Relieving pain
- Improving the immune system
- Boosting mood
- Defending the heart from coronary disease
- Revitalizing circulation and muscle relaxation, both of which minimize stress
- And so many more
Even though there is absolutely nothing funny when it comes to receiving a difficult medical diagnosis for someone you care about, there are methods to keep up an underlying feeling of positivity that may result in more possibilities for laughter:
- Be deliberate about placing snippets of humor throughout your home/office; for example, a popular comic strip, meme, funny photographs, etc.
- Look into a laughter yoga class – yes, there honestly is such a thing!
- Adjust your reading material and TV viewing to incorporate additional lightheartedness. Include joke books – or browse the internet for new jokes to add to your collection.
- Spend time with loved ones and close friends who raise your spirits. Reminisce over prior memories together that make you laugh, and create new ones!
- Discover how to laugh at yourself, switching your internal dialogue from reprimands for errors to comfort in recognizing we are all human.
Interestingly, even if you don’t feel like laughing, rewards can still be achieved through faking or forcing laughter, according to certified health coach Nancy Kalish.
At Responsive Home Care, the top providers of senior care services in Pembroke Pines and the surrounding area, we understand the link between laughter and health, and our caretakers make it a point to bring happiness to seniors every day. Our friendly senior companions spend quality time with older adults, participating in conversations, games, puzzles, exercise, fun outings, and of course, laughter. And with our full selection of in-home care services, which include meal preparation, light housekeeping, and looking after personal care needs, family care providers together with the seniors they love are able to spend more quality time simply enjoying each other’s company. Allow us to help brighten your world! Contact us at 954-486-6440 any time to learn more and to schedule an in-home consultation.
