Laughter is the Best (Mental Health) Medicine
Some people are just born to be funny. They can tell jokes and make a room fill with laughter. Me, I’m not one of those people. I can’t remember jokes. My face turns into a smile from ear to ear when I try to tell a joke or hold a secret. But, I do love to laugh. I love humor that comes out as laughter that rumbles all the way to my belly. Frankly, laughter is good for the soul!
In my counseling practice, you can often hear laughter from my office. I want my clients to enjoy a moment, issues and concerns aside, and feel free to laugh. It gets them out of the cycle of pain they are in. It allows them to refocus, if even for a moment. I often get them to laugh at me. While I can’t tell a joke, I can be real about myself, my life, the realities of everyday life. Making light of myself, let’s them see that my life isn’t perfect either but we can find humor in spite of it all!
I think many people get so focused on the busyness of life that they forget to just be free to see and seek humor. We can all benefit from a little laughter, physically and mentally. According to authors of “Laughter is the Best Medicine”, (Lawrence Robinson, Melinda Smith, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D), laughter can boost immunity, lower stress hormones, decrease pain, relax muscles, help prevent heart disease, release endorphins (body’s feel good chemical), relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and improves mood.
So I challenge you to laugh each day. Whether you are suffering, mentally or physically, you will benefit.
May you laugh each day as you journey along your path!