Here’s a stress reducer we all tend to ignore…laughter
When was the last time you had a good laugh? Or watched a funny movie?
Laugher is an essential part of our humanity. It contributes to our capacity to cope with life’s challenges. It gives us a respite from the doom and gloom that often surrounds us.
Norman Cousins closed himself in a hotel room and watched Marx Brothers movies for pain relief. Ten minutes of laughter for several hours of pain relief. Not bad eh?
In the early 1990′s I worked for hospice and during that time and for a good while after, I would only watch comedies. When life is that real, you don’t need fictionalized drama on top of it. Laughter was one of the things that allowed me to do the work without getting depressed, stressed and overwhelmed by the intense emotional pain I was dealing with on a daily basis. It allowed me to be present with an open heart to the families I met.
Now it doesn’t make all the stress disappear for good, but it does tend to lend some perspective and gives us a much needed break.
So go rent a funny movie and have a good laugh. You’ll feel better for it.
Posted on June 21st, 2009 by Stress Reducer