Laugh A LOT!
Laughter is essential for good health. No kidding. Especially this time of year, we need laughter more than ever.
Many folks know about Norman Cousins’ memoir Anatomy of an Illness. Cousins watched humorous movies and shows, including ‘Candid Camera’ and the Marx Brothers. He found that ten minutes of boisterous laughter resulted in at least two hours of pain-free sleep.
Research has supported many health benefits of laughter including:
- Lowered blood pressure
- Reduction of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline
- Improved defense against respiratory infections–even reducing the frequency of colds.
- Increase memory and learning; in a study at Johns Hopkins University Medical School, humor during instruction led to increased test scores
- Improvements in alertness, creativity, and memory
I do my best to seek out funny stuff every day and I recommend it to all of my clients. The Daily Show and The Colbert Report can be good sources if you like to keep up on the news.
For your health, I’ve included two You Tube videos that should help you to achieve your laughter goals for today. Your homework is to make a point to seek out sources of good laughter. Everyday.
