JULY NEWSLETTER
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The Challenges of Growing Old
in the 21st Century
Monthly Column for the Kitsap Reporter
Senior Life 101
The Power of Laughter
I think I’ve always known that laughing is good medicine for the
soul. There’s just something refreshing and energizing whenever I’ve
participated in conversation that is punctuated with outbursts of genuine
laughter. In fact, I can’t remember a day in my 51 years of married
life that my wife and I haven’t enjoyed some opportunity to share a laugh
together. Even when things have been stressful, and we’ve been at odds
with one another, or when we’ve experienced times of sorrow and
disappointment, one of us will find something to bring a chuckle and relief
to the weight of the moment.
Frankly, I’ve been blessed to
have a wife with a great sense of humor … who keeps me laughing with her
infectious ability to see humor in the most unlikely places and
circumstances. Just to hear her laugh causes me to join her, even when
I’m not sure what I’m laughing at. What a gift!
Recently, there has been a significant amount of research into
this subject, and numerous articles written about the benefits of regular,
spontaneous, and even manufactured laughter. And since I’ve already
indicated that I believe laughter to be both refreshing and energizing, I
was motivated to look into this growing phenomenon.
Thanks to a
great article posted on the website of HELPGUIDE.org, entitled “Laughter is
the Best Medicine”, I’d like to share a few thoughts that I found quite
helpful.
According to the article … “Humor is
infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any
cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together
and increases happiness and intimacy. In addition to the domino effect of
joy and amusement, laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the
body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy,
diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of
all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.” Wow!
Makes me want to laugh even more.
Although the
article establishes a clear link between laughter and physical and emotional
well-being, it also prescribes some helpful tips on “how to get started”.
For example … “Begin by setting aside special times to seek out humor and
laughter, as you might with working out, and build from there. Eventually,
you’ll want to incorporate humor and laughter into the fabric of your life,
finding it naturally in everything you do.”
Here are some ways to
start:
- Smile. Smiling is the beginning of laughter. Like laughter, it’s
contagious. Pioneers in “laugh therapy,” find it’s possible to laugh
without even experiencing a funny event. The same holds for smiling.
When you look at someone or see something even mildly pleasing, practice
smiling.
- Count your blessings. Literally make a list. The simple act of
considering the good things in your life will distance you from negative
thoughts that are a barrier to humor and laughter. When in a state of
sadness, we have further to travel to get to humor and laughter.
- When you hear laughter, move toward it. Sometimes humor and laughter are
private, a shared joke among a small group, but usually not. More often,
people are very happy to share something funny because it gives them an
opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find in it. When
you hear laughter, seek it out and ask, “What’s funny?”
- Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh
easily–both at themselves and at life’s absurdities–and who routinely
find the humor in everyday events. Their playful point of view and
laughter are contagious.
- Bring humor into conversations. Ask people, “What’s the funniest thing
that happened to you today? This week? In your life?”
The ability to laugh, play, and have fun with others not only makes life
more enjoyable–it also helps you solve problems, connect with others, and be
more creative. People who incorporate humor and play into their daily lives
find that it renews them and all of their relationships.
It’s
never too late to get started.
 Carl R. Johnson
Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®
Community Relations Director
Kitsap Alliance
of Resources for Elders (KARE)
Silverdale,
WA
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