By William

(This is a refreshed write from one originally posted in early 2021)

Can laughter be considered an individual cure for the blues? Many days that is an absolute yes.

A popular phrase that I use often is – “A Day without Laughter, is a Day Lost” – because I strongly believe that everyone can be helped with laughter or at the minimum a bit of humor in their day.

We know that most agree that a good sense of humor may not cure all ailments, data has proven through many studies that positive results can and will be found when people have laughter in their daily walk of life.

DID YOU KNOW that laughter or humor in your day may supply several short-term benefits, and these are not just by lightening your mental load in the brain.

Many studies have said that laughter can and will stimulate many of an individual’s organs such as:

  • Your lungs – for laughter can many times enhance your intake of oxygen rich air!
  • Laughter can stimulate your heart and muscles as well as it increases the endorphins released within your brain.

Laughter can relieve a persons response to stress. Have you ever noticed or found that a belly busting laugh can cool down your current response to a stressful situation which in turn increases and then decreases your heart rate and blood pressure.

In my own life travels I have found that laughter can also have an effect on helping to soothe out a possible tense moment or situation.

Those who truly know me have seen me use laughter (or as some have referred to it – sarcasm) to aid in keeping my heart rate and blood pressure down while allowing my muscles to relax during moments of high stress or tension.

During many of my readings about dealing with chronic illnesses and/or disabilities, I have found some people claiming that laughter has seemed to have improved their immune system. A few studies I have seen say that laughter may ease pain by causing ones own body to produce its own natural painkillers.

Other ways that laughter may help ones travel while battling a chronic illness and/or disability like I do, is:

  • Laughter helps increase personal satisfaction during a difficult coping situation.
  • Laughter may improve an individual’s mood which is highly important for those days of blues or downers as one fights a chronic illness and/or disability.

I for one do believe in laughter and can honestly say that humor and laughter have and continues to play a part in helping pull me through many moments, days, weeks, and months of stress or uncomfortable life happenings.

BEGIN YOUR DAY WITH HUMOR and/or LAUGHTER!!

That is what I do as a priority beginning each and every day – I include some humor into my routine.

Every morning as I spend my 10–15-minute stretch on the nebulizer with meds to help clear out and wake up my lungs for the day – I choose first and foremost humor/laughter by checking out the daily postings of my three most favorite comic strips – B.C.; Zits; and Pickles!

The comic strip B.C. is a long-time staple in the comic pages and always seems to have a bite of sarcasm toward current day happenings from the look of the days of a cave person.

With Zits, one will get a delightful, humorous, and sarcastic look at the life of a teenage son and his parents, girlfriend, and a few friends as they deal with living daily along the twists and turns it can direct you. Having raised five children through teenage years and participating remarkably close in eight of my grandchildren doing the same, I seem to be able to always find the humor and laugh in a day’s presentation of Zits.

Hitting a lot closer to home is the comic strip Pickles as it follows the daily routines and life of an elderly couple, Earl and Opal Pickles, living retirement while coping with life, age, and a grandson named Nelson. Many times, the humor and laugh I find in my daily venture with Earl and Opal, will make me laugh heartily even when it hits remarkably close to home.

My routine of finding laughter continues when I look at spending time with the television over the years. Shows that have given me much relief from stress and issues with my own chronic illness and/or disability include ‘The 70’s Show’, ‘the Big Bang Theory’, ‘Young Sheldon’, ‘Mom”, and ‘The Neighborhood’. Over the years those shows which I never find old watching in reruns include such grand old timers as ‘Andy Griffith’, ‘The Carol Burnet Show’, ‘Hogan’s Heroes’, ‘I Love Lucy’, ‘Leave it to Beaver’, ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’, and ‘Friends’.

Do I find laughter as a release and help in dealing with my major chronic illness issues of sever asthma, COPD, heart, and depression – absolutely.

As mentioned earlier, those that know me already know that I can seem to find some humor in nearly any and all situations which has brought out some much-needed sarcasm from me when needed.

As a layperson, I would ABSOLUTELY recommend others work on making sure humor and/or laughter is a part of their daily lives/routines, they may discover a new refreshing way to simplify stress.

One thing I do know is this – when I find humor and/or laughter in my day, my moods relax as doe the level of stress and worry that ‘Lenny’ may flare up and mess with my day.

For now, this is where ‘Lenny and Me’ are at for today as thankfully ‘Lenny’ is not causing any issues today to complicate my routines.

A QUESTION FOR THE MOMENT:

  • Do you have within your daily, weekly, monthly routines some time made for laughter or humor?
  • If so, what is it that makes you laugh and how does it help in your battle with your own chronic illness and/or disability?

A REMINDER – Do you have any comments or questions about my postings, then feel free to leave a comment on either at this blog, at the email address of wheezingaway@gmail.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/copdtravels/.

ALWAYS REMEMBER (because I have COPD and severe Asthma) – If you or anyone you know have any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.

With that, I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings, and steady breathing – Mr. William.

(Copyright@2022, CrossDove Writers through wheezingaway.com – no part of this write may be used or copied without written permission.)

NOTES: Sometimes we share what may seem like medical information, but we are only giving descriptions and highlights of various aspects of having COPD and/or Asthma and no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical treatment type of information, always consult your physician for more, clearer medical founded information.