How To Make Yourself Feel Better

Laughter is the best form of medicine says Chuckle The Clown ! A friendly smile is worth its weight in gold and no one can deny that having a good laugh makes you feel better.

Doctors, Nurses and Psychologists acknowledge that ” A cheerful heart is good medicine ” It is well known that laughter reduces stress, eases pain, fosters recovery and generally brightens ones outlook.

Some hospitals and nursing homes amuse patients with trolleys stocked up with jokes, humorous cd’s, games and gimmicks. A few have even set up ” humour rooms ” for use by patients and their families to enjoy hearty laughter whilst watching DVD’s, telling jokes and watching live performances.

In one hospital nurses wear badges that read ” Warning : Humour may be hazardous to your illness”

Laughter stimulates the production of alertness hormones called catecholamines. These cause the release of endorphins in the brain. Endorphins promote a sense of relaxation and dull the perception of pain.

In addition Cathecholamines increase blood flow, speed up healing, reduce inflammation and increase alertness.

It is also believed that laughter enhances immune response by reducing hormones that suppress immunity.

A Doctor at the School of Osteopathic Medicine in New Jersey said that the diaphragm, thorax, abdomen, heart, lungs and even the liver are given a massage during a hearty laugh. Dr Herring declared that the effect of laughter on the cardiovascular and respiratory functions is even more evident. Regular breathing is disrupted, expiration becomes spasmodic and deeper. There is an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and muscular tension. As laughter subsides all of these levels drop to lower than normal and the individual feels relaxed.

It is thought that this relaxed state can last for up to 45 minutes and can help to counter high blood pressure heart disease and depression.

Given the fast pace of modern life and the daily pressures many of us face it’s easy to become stressed or feel depressed. In a weakened condition we are more prone to illness. Perhaps we all need some Laughter Therapy.

Chuckle The Clown’s advice on ” How To Make Yourself Feel Better ”