All that stress makes temptation much more difficult to resist. But resist we must! Lord knows the last thing we want is to begin the new year with a depressing weight gain.
Of all the things to indulge in this holiday season, I highly recommend one delicious goodie that won’t make you gain weight and will actually help to lessen the stressful effects of being bombarded by delectable edibles.
That wonderful, positive, calorie-free goodie is laughter. It colors your perception, so that while others see gloomy gray skies, you’ll be seeing blue skies and clouds with silver linings. Laughter helps give you the power to take yourself, holiday stress, and life in general less seriously. It unties the knots in your gut when some well-meaning friend or family member decides to criticize your diet--or to watch you like a hawk each time you put something in your mouth. Laughter gives you the ability to remain strong and face each challenge with a confident smile on your face. You’ll feel good about yourself--and nothing (and no one) can defeat that powerful, positive, happy feeling!
Think about it. When’s the last time you indulged in a rollicking bout of laughter? I don’t mean a few snickers, a couple of chuckles or a bit of polite laughter. I’m talking about the kind of laughter that rolls up from deep within the belly. The kind that makes you snort and has tears running down your face and makes you hurt real good inside.
Recently I came across a favorite old book (first published in the 1970s and still available today) that started me on a path of research years ago about the healing effects of laughter. It’s called Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient, written by Norman Cousins. In it he describes how, after receiving a dire “incurable” diagnosis for a crippling illness, he took his health into his own hands.
To make a long story short, ignoring the gloom and doom prognosis, he checked himself out of the hospital and into in a motel where he did nothing but watch the funniest movies and read the funniest books, completely immersing himself in laughter. After a few months of intensive laughter therapy, he’d cured himself. He did the same years later after he suffered a massive heart attack. There’s quite a bit more to Cousins’ story, but that’s the gist of it. I have AS (ankylosing spondylitis), the same illness Cousins had, so you can see where I’d be especially interested in researching laughter therapy. I’ve been happily amazed at my findings--and I’d like to share them with you.
Over the decades numerous scientific studies have been done regarding the remarkable and often surprising power of laughter. It’s been discovered that laughter is a form of aerobic exercise that stimulates heart and blood circulation. Findings show that one minute of laughter is equivalent to ten minutes on the rowing machine. That’s significant! (Are you listening, dieters?)
Thinking about Botox or a facelift to get rid of those wrinkles? Before you go that route, you may want to know that laughter is anti-ageing. Facial muscles are toned by laughing contractions. Blood supply to the face is increased, causing a youthful flush effect. In addition, the increased blood supply nourishes the skin and makes it glow.
Are you single and looking for ways to attract the opposite sex? Keep in mind that people look younger, more attractive and more approachable when they laugh. Think about it. Aren’t you more naturally attracted to someone who’s laughing than someone who’s frowning or looks gloomy?
When you’re around laughter, you can’t help but be infected. Hearing or seeing others laugh makes you laugh and that makes them laugh even more and… Well, you get the idea. It’s the best kind of infection you can possibly get.
Feeling down or depressed? Stiff and achy? You need to build up your endorphins. Endorphins are substances formed in the body that naturally relieve pain. In fact, they have a similar chemical structure to morphine. They’re involved in controlling the body's response to stress, regulating contractions of the intestinal wall and determining mood. In other words, endorphins fight and reduce physical pain as well as depression.
And do you want to take a guess as to what increases endorphins? Yup. Laughter! It’s a bona fide stress buster. Vigorous exercise (you’ve heard of a “runner’s high”) can also do increase endorphins, as can orgasms, but that’s a whole different blog. :-)
My husband and I love watching humorous TV shows like AFV (America’s Funniest Home Videos), or reruns of Whose Line is it Anyway (an innovative and hilarious improv show), etc., because they always make us laugh and we always feel better afterwards. I love watching funny movies and reading comedic books too. As a fulltime writer, the primary reason I write mostly romantic comedy and humorous women’s fiction is that it keeps me feeling good as I work. It actually helps to reduce the pain and inflammation from my AS, which is pretty awesome.
When you find life getting in the way of feeling good--you know, things like bad news on TV and in the newspaper; bills piling up; arthritis acting up; kids driving you crazy; work making you bonkers; diet going to hell; etc., take a break for laughter. It’ll help. I promise.
I’ve included two short videos below of babies laughing. They’ve been around for a while so perhaps you’ve seen them before, but I challenge you not to smile while watching them anyway. Maybe they’ll even make you laugh. Watching these is a reminder of how naturally laughter comes to little children. What a shame we lose some of that marvelous spontaneity and sheer joy of life along life’s path. It’s not hopeless. With a little work we can recapture that magical youthful feeling, through frequent bouts of laughter.
As we embark upon the bustling, food-filled holiday season, why not take some time out for yourself and give yourself the very best holiday gift possible--the gift of rich, bubbly, exuberant, healing and downright magical laughter. And while you’re at it, how about giving the same gift to those you love? I promise it will make the next few months easier and more enjoyable for you and yours. :-D
In need of diet inspiration as well as a generous dose of humor? Be sure to visit my other blog, The Crazy Woman Inside Me.
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