Sunday, May 04, 2008

Laughter Is Good For Your Mind And Body Health

"The best blush to use is laughter: It puts roses in your cheeks and in your soul."
- Linda Knight

"He who laughs, lasts."
-Victor Borge

There are times in your life that clouds form around you, making you loose your way. These occasions can be challenging. Your motivation and enjoyment well dry up. Your life becomes barren like an arid soil.

The result of this stress is that your stress hormone, cortisol, increases and attacks your immune system. The effect of cortisol is counteracted by another hormone called DHEAS. DHEAS, however starts declining at age 30, dropping to less than 20% of their maximum value by the time we reach 70.

Additionally, cortisol has effects on the heart and the brain. Studies from the University of Edinburgh, UK, showed that older men with high levels of cortisol have smaller anterior cingular cortices. Shrinkage of this brain area is linked with Alzheimer's disease and depression in older people. The researchers think these effects are caused by stress.

Stress is part of our existence, however, you should at all times find ways of walking away from stress. These are some suggestions:

  • Laugh often. Laughter reduces stress and hence lowers the levels of the steroids in your body.
  • Have a positive attitude and a sunny disposition. Optimism helps you roll with the punches so you can take one day at a time.
  • Learn from your problems and find ways to avoid stressful triggers in your life.
  • Be spiritual. Spirituality gives you hope. Hope gives you the assurance that you can live and fight another time.
  • Don't be lonely unless it is self imposed for a particular project or purpose. Social interactions provide you with the necessary support in your time of need and hence can decrease your stress levels



"If taking vitamins don't keep you healthy enough, try more laughter:
The most wasted of all days is that on which one has not laughed."

- Nicolas-Sebastien Chamfort

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