A good laugh is a GREAT way to release some tension.
Case in point: I was all sorts of mopey last night. I’ve got a pretty important thing coming up on Saturday, but nobody in my family is planning to attend. My parents have other plans, my brother is out of town… So there I was, chock full of self-pity and about thirty seconds away from bursting into tears.
And the phone rings… my friend Gwen, who seems to magically know when I’ve been thinking of her. So we get to talking… and some how end up reading bad high school angst poetry to each other and laughing our fool heads off. (She even put me on speakerphone to read some really bad ones to her husband!)
By the time we got off the phone (two hours later) I was feeling all right again. Still disappointed, but not totally weighed down by the sadness and frustration.
A good laugh makes everything seem a little better! A study a few years ago found a LOT of benefits from laughter.
- Laughing is actually a form of cardiac exercise! Think of it as jogging for your belly. That explains why your sides hurt from too much laughing, too!
- When you’re laughing, other muscles that were tight begin to relax.
You breathe more deeply when you’re laughing – don’t you take deep breaths when you’re trying to calm down? - Laughter reduces certain hormones associated with stress. Goodbye, stress hormones, I won’t miss you.
- A good laugh helps you forget aches and pains. Where did that tension headache go? I laughed it away!
- Studies have shown that laughing can strengthen your immune system and lower your blood pressure – probably because you’re not all tense and grumpy
Me with my best (and funniest) friend Katie. I’m the one with the glasses.
But hey… I’m no doctor! Try it for yourself and see if a good laugh doesn’t help you get over a bad case of stress. Here are some ideas to help you get started.
- Call your funniest friend
- Watch your favorite sitcom or funny movie
- Dig out pictures or stories from childhood