Laughter empowered me to overcome Madness, Mania and Mayhem …
On the way to involuntary psychiatric treatment, I shared jokes making police laugh.
I unwittingly used humor to empower myself to lessen my anxiety and stress.
At the psyche hospital, I requested smiles from the nurses.
At bedtime, I watched Comedy Shows soothing my screaming night terrors, lulling me to sleep.
I wrote down these coping skills and MORE in Me and Her: A Memoir of Madness
AND Me and Him: A Guide to Recovery.
[A Teachers tell-all story on my triumph over parent-teacher abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder.]
Laughter lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.
Why you SHOULD Laugh every day…
• Laughter is healing. Laughter improves blood flow, deep breathing and boosts your immunity. Finding humor in the dark times will empower you to find the light.
• Laughing relieves tension. Laughter relaxes the muscles in the body and eases stress, anxiety and fear.
• Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, improving your resistance to disease.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can relieve pain.
• Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, helping protect you against a heart attack.
• Laughter brings us together. Sharing a good laugh with a friend will bond you. Laughter attracts others who like to laugh. Laughter helps resolve conflict.
GIGGLE STATISTICS ….
Studies show a four-year-old giggles around 300 times a day, and a 40-year-old only laughs four times a day!!!
How to Laugh MORE and Stress LESS…
1. Smile. SMILE a big Cheesy grin. Fake it, till you make it! 🙂
2. Loosen up, and let go. Don’t take things too seriously. Make a list of the GOOD things in your life to empower you to think more positively and loosen up. 🙂
3. Find funny people. Spend more time with people who make you laugh. Seek out people to “Play”. Playing with animals or children is a great place to start. Take a canine friend to an off-leash park, visit an animal sanctuary, or spend time playing a silly game with kids. 🙂
4. Have fun. Watch a funny movie or read a funny book. Go to a comedy show. Tell funny stories and jokes, and ask other people to share funny stories. Do a silly dance 🙂
5. Watch Comedy TV before you go to bed. Watch Ellen OR Graham Norton Show. Helps you to sleep longer and deeper. 🙂
READ … 10 Steps to Happiness
READ #20 pages of Me and Her showing HOW I recovered from Mental Illness. HERE
READ #15 pages of Me and Him, sharing coping skills to empower you to be MORE resilient. HERE
When have you used laughter and humor to empower yourself? 🙂
HOW has laughter helped you to Stress Less? 🙂
Please SHARE the smiles & giggles… Tweet , LIKE, Google ++ 🙂
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