Q. At 84, I currently need more humor and laughing in my life. Ideas about how to get there? And how does humor integrate into successful aging? THANKS. LH
One of the most important daily human activities experienced by each culture and at all ages is to have a sense of humor, according to Gil Greengross, an evolutionary psychologist. We start to develop this from 6 weeks in response to stimuli.
In addition to enjoying good laughs, having a sense of humor is good for your health, especially for relieving stress. As written by the staff of the Mayo clinic, “Relief of the stress of laughter? It is not a joke. It is Not possible to laugh and be stressed At the same time since a good laugh has triggered the release of well-being chemicals.
In what follows story of interest Was published by someone named Dave the lighthousekeeper on an AARP website on an exercise he recommends:
“I start by staying outside the house. With a bag of potatoes of five pounds in each hand, I extend my arms directly on my sides and keeps them there as long as possible. After a few weeks, I went to bags of potatoes of 10 pounds, then to bags of potatoes of 50 pounds and finally I arrived where I could lift a bag of potatoes of 100 pounds in each hand and hold my arms straight for more than a full minute! Then, I started to put a few potatoes in the bags, but I would not have done too much at this level. »(GLOUSSE)
Have a sense of humor has short -term effects.
Stimulates many organs. Laugh Increases the supply of oxygen -rich air that we breathe, stimulating the heart, lungs and muscles. At the same time, it increases endorphins, the secreted hormone of the brain and the pituitary gland that makes us feel good.
Relieve a response to stress. Laughter makes us feel good and relaxed because it reduces heart rate and blood pressure.
Soothes the tension. It can stimulate traffic and help muscles relax. Both can help reduce part of the physical symptom of stress.
Having a sense of humor also has longer -term effects.
Improves the immune system. Negative thoughts and chronic stress create a chemical reaction in the body that reduces immunity. Having positive thoughts frees something called neuropeptides which Combat assistance and potentially more serious diseases.
Relieves pain. Laughter produces its own pain relievers. In addition to freeing endorphins, relief of natural brain pain, laughter changes the levels of serotonin And dopamine who are mood boosters.
Improves mood. Suffering from a chronic disease can lead to a feeling of depression and anxiety. Laughter can help reduce these feelings, which made it happier and even improve self -esteem, according to the Mayo clinic.
You can learn to develop a sense of humor and learn to laugh. Here are some tips on how to make it happen, like Recommended by daily health.
Try to be funny and relax. Everyday Health provides the following example. If you overturn a cup of coffee outside with a friend, don’t worry, just say: “Now that I have your attention” or “it’s just half and half, half the table and half on my knees. ”
Remember to organize your own comedy bits collection. Try to protect yourself and avoid something called “doomscrolling”, a tendency to consume many negative news. Instead, surround yourself with funny content. If you use social media, “like” so many pages that make you laugh. The humorous articles will then appear more often in your flows.
Then there are yoga laughs. It is a contemporary technique consisting of breathing exercises, applauding and singing and imitating laughter. It is laughing out loud and forcing laughter.
Try a variation in the gratitude journal but just for humor. Remember to write three fun things that happen every day for a week. A study revealed that the participants who did it had a decrease in their symptoms of depression and increased their overall happiness up to six months.
We may remember Norman Cousins, editor-in-chief of Saturday Review, Author and Professor who suffered from a painful and potentially fatal connective tissue disease. Cousins persuaded his nurses to read extracts from the humor columns of Eb White and Max Eastman and show him reruns of “Candide Camera” and films by old Marx Brothers. He said that the key to his recovery was a powerful drug called Laughter, as mentioned in a story of Washington Post in 1986. seal The UCLA medical school in 1978.
LH, thank you for your good question. The best wishes to have a little daily laugh, to be well and kind to yourself and the others.
Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on aging issues and new retirement with academic, business and non -profit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments to Helendenn@gmail.com. Visit Helen in Helenmdennis.com and follow it on Facebook.com/successfulingcommunity
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