Crack Two Jokes and Call Me in the Morning
I recently learned that September is Self-Improvement Month. (It’s also “All American Breakfast” month, which I am totally down to celebrate, and “Be Kind to Writers and Editors” month, which means you have to pretend you like this article.) But let’s roll with the whole self-improvement thing, and talk about an approach to improving the way we manage stress, sadness, or even anger. I’m sure if I took a survey of the many ways all of you combat these negative feelings, I’d receive a wide variety of responses. But because this is a blog that’s written from a personal perspective, I would like to discuss one of my own strategies. Which if I do say so myself, has proven quite effective.
George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Matthew McConaughey all get together to make a movie.
Clooney says, “I’ll direct.”
DiCaprio says, “I’ll act.”
McConaughey says, “I’ll write, I’ll write, I’ll write.”
Don’t lie, I just made you laugh. Okay. You smiled at least, right? Seriously…or not so seriously, though. When is the last time you had a really good laugh? A time when you laughed so hard that your belly hurt, or tears were in your eyes; the good tears. Last week? Last month? Last year? And do you rely on others to say and do things to make you laugh, or do you seek laughter out in good times, and more importantly, in bad?
Science has proven that laughter is therapy! (I mean, many of us had our suspicions; but for the doubters, the whole science thing makes it official.) Laughing has physical, emotional, and mental health benefits. I don’t think most of us realize how physically complex laughing really is, and it’s quite amazing what happens on a visceral level. Laughing stimulates our muscular system when the diaphragm pulls and shakes our other internal muscles and releases tension. Laughter also leaves our lungs at an amazing rate of speed (picture running late for work and driving on the highway-like rate of speed), and it provides a dynamic pulmonary and cardiovascular workout. This workout then quickly forces oxygenized blood into your cells, which energizes your brain and makes it more resistant to stress.
A word about stress. Its physical effects on the body are pretty profound. Perhaps most importantly, stress increases inflammation in various parts of your body, and inflammation is the culprit behind many illnesses and serious diseases. So, less stress equals less inflammation; but, do you know what less stress equals more of? Short Term Memory! Yep. A Harvard study showed that laughter causes cortisol (the stress hormone) levels to go down; and that, my friends, causes Short Term Memory to improve.
“What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.”
~ Yiddish Proverb
Your idea of handling life’s less desirable moments may be dashing off to a spa for a day of pampering, which may not be an option for someone else; but the great thing about laughter is that it is freely available to every human being. You, me, he, she…are all capable of developing a sense of humor. Another Harvard University study performed by Dr. George Vaillant, identified humor as one of the “five mature coping mechanisms available to humans for successfully dealing with disadvantageous circumstances.” So that means, the time you nearly peed your pants laughing at your best friend’s impersonation of her grumpy boss; you were totally being mature.
So, am I selling you on this, yet? If not, let me present you with what might be the most enticing reason for us all to inject laughter in our daily routine; its effects on aging. I’ve already discussed that laughing gives your cardiovascular and pulmonary systems a hearty workout (pun intended), relieves muscle tension, and boosts immunity by relieving stress. Laughter also releases “feel-good” chemicals into your body, called endorphins. I think you may have heard of them. Combine all of these benefits, and you’ve got a healthy aging process.
Finally, I’m going to add a suggestion when using this approach. I have no idea if it’s supported by research, and I don’t have any fancy reasons as to why it may work; but if you’re going to laugh, learn to laugh at yourself! We take ourselves so seriously, and we are often afraid to acknowledge that we are less than perfect. Take me for example. I am a huge klutz. My love of high heel shoes, mixed with my inability not to trip over my own two feet, has resulted in some pretty memorable moments. I used to pray for more poise and grace; but now I embrace it for what it is, entertainment for myself and those around me.
So when I’m in a slump or feeling stressed, I seek out things that make me laugh. I laugh with my friends, my family, and above all, I’ve learned to laugh at myself. There’s a time for conviction and hard work; but, there is also a time to surrender your ego and make light of the things that are out of our control; to embrace the belly laughs, and even the occasional snort or two.
