Three Cheers for a Good Laugh (We’ll all feel a little better)
A patient walks into a clinic terribly anxious.
- Patient: Nurse! Please help me. I’m shrinking. I’m losing an inch every few minutes.
- Nurse: Sorry! The team is on its way to an emergency. You’ll have to be a little patient.
We live in serious times. There’s ample justification for anxiety and depression. While we shouldn’t ignore life’s worries and hardships, by seeking out humor and laughter, we can be more resilient physically, emotionally, and socially, and better able to meet the challenges we face.
Humor can be a powerful strategy to support mental health. According to Edward T. Creagan, MD, writing for the Mayo Clinic Press website, laughing can alleviate stress by decreasing stress hormones, like epinephrine and cortisol, and increase the release of endorphins, the feel-good hormones.
In the article, “The Healing Benefits of Humor and Laughter,” by J. Adam Rindfleisch, MPhil, MD, for the Veterans Administration, the author notes that laughter increases heart and respiratory rates and oxygen consumption in similar ways to aerobic exercise. He cites studies that show evidence that laughter may decrease inflammation in people with rheumatoid arthritis and has been shown to increase pain tolerance and improve self-esteem and mood in some cancer patients.
It’s relatively easy to Incorporate levity into your daily routine. You can read a funny book (I recommend anything by David Sedaris), listen to humor pod casts, or watch videos of your favorite comedians or a funny movie. But Dr. Creagan says human interactions are the best opportunity for laughter.
Attend almost any Viva Village event and there will be laughter, smiles, hugs, and opportunities to connect with others. If you’re unable to attend events, on-line gatherings for socializing (weekly on-line women’s coffee, on-line living solo), exercising (on-line Tai Chi), learning (on-line mindfulness classes), and discussing (the on-line book club) offer other ways to come together.
Humor may lighten your burdens, inspire hope, and connect you to others. It also may help you release anger and forgive sooner. Reach out to your Viva Village neighbors and laugh a little. We’ll all feel better.
What do you call a row of rabbits hopping away? A receding hare line! Not sure if a groan qualifies as a laugh, but I’ll take it.
By Roberta S. Lang, Viva Village Member/Volunteer. Aging is a team sport, join us. Visit vivavillage.org.
