By Rev. Gillian V Harris, M.S.P.
Posted: Friday January 26, 2018
Laughter reduces the hormones released by stress!!!
LAUGH and DISSOLVE STRESS SIMULTANEOUSLY!!!!
I AM being realistic. And yes I HAVE experienced true, gut wrenching stress! If you’re thinking laughter and stress don’t go together – I concur! But because of the benefits of laughter, its important to force it into that stress packed moment. If you can find that teeny weeny humor window, squeeze through it for just a moment and allow yourself to laugh – you are healing some of the damage your stress has caused.
Stress – as ya know, deteriorates us physically, emotionally, psychologically even spiritually it can take quite a toll seemingly burying us in the deepest, darkest, scariest of places! Well, look at stress like a poisonous venom. A set of circumstances has unfolded with stakes and deadlines and stress has bitten you! You need the ANTIDOTE FAST! There are many. Laughter is one of the best!!
Now… I AM talking about the kind of the kind of stress that makes the air around you so thick, laughter seems the farthest thing from your mind at that time! However in the back of your mind you have to know, you are being damaged by stress just like being bitten by a rattle snake! Stress can literally kill you as it does many people every day. Every day there are stress related heart attacks and strokes.
The effects of laughter are the opposite as doctors say laughing improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow which in turn protects us from heart attack and other cardio vascular issues!!! And know that laughter even BURNS CALORIES!!! – WHAT?! YES!! CALORIES! Laughing 10 – 15 minutes is said to burn about 40 calories! But that’s a STRAIGHT 10 -15 minutes! Lol! It’s gotta be pretty damn funny to get you rolling for that many consecutive minutes!! I’m feeling less stress just KNOWING about the calories I can burn with an elongated giggle!!
I dare you to try watching or listening to comedy while in a stressed state. It may seem counter-productive but it’s actually a way to free your mind for a moment from the negative fear and to delve into the benefit of laughter.
I did a little research and the facts are still the same. Science still finds that laughter increases the immune system – energizes antibodies that fight infection. The first thing I noticed even before those perks to a giggle is that laughter the hormone related to stress. Maybe that’s because you can’t think both things at the same time. Just like you can’t focus on the feeling of love and the feeling of hate at the same time, nor can you react to something funny with huge laughter while simultaneously worrying about some stressful issue!!! It’s impossible! Now that SCIENCE has confirmed this connection – we must understand that – to heal, it’s worth it to find a funny and laugh as hard as possible. In fact to extend our lives it might be logical to inject laughter EVERY DAY for at least enough time to burn 40 – 80 calories!!! A reported study out of Norway found that people with a strong sense of humor live longer than those who don’t laugh as much!! They found this to be particularly true for those battling cancer! Now, when you’re super stressed out, it’s hard to find the humor in even the funniest moment! If you’re like me, when you’re stressed out, the last thing you’re thinking about is finding an endorphins rush (another benefit to laughter). “MY CHECKBOOK SAYS endorphins are beside the point, right now, damn it!”
If you want a chance to figure out or create a solution you may need to free yourself from the grip of stress which can shut down your creativity. In the same way that laughter releases endorphins and the endorphins can promote a feel good-I’m cool- all is well sense of being and can even temporarily relieve physical pain! While it’s relieving that stress and it’s harmful byproducts you may get enough window opportunity to realize the solution or at least to realize enough to adjust a perception that is sourcing your stress!
Find a comedy. I highly recommend Netflix or Hulu or something for a moment like this. Go directly to their Comedy category. Pick something. And do the best you can to let go for a bit and LYAO!!!!!