Living Better – Laughter is the Best Medicine

by Dr. Carolyn King

Warning: Please Try This at Home:
Laughing Your Way to a Happier, Healthier Life

It’s true what they say: laughter is often the best medicine. Did you know if you laugh heartily 100 times a day it provides the same health benefits as a 10 mile run? Researchers have found this to be true.
– Feeling tense? Laugh. it makes your tense muscles relax – for up to 45 minutes.
– Feeling depressed or in pain? Laugh. It produces endorphins – natural pain relievers.

These are just a few of the physical health benefits of laughing. Laughter also produces many mental health benefits including renewing a sense of joy, easing anxiety and fear, improving mood and enhancing resiliency. And there are social benefits to laughter as well: strengthening relationships – both personally and professionally, building stronger teams and families, oh, and making you more attractive to others.

Yes, it is everyone’s best interest to laugh, yet as we get older we laugh less and less frequently.

Recently on the “Living Better” segment on JQ 99.3, I shared some techniques to help you and your family laugh more. For example, laughter yoga is a type of “yoga” specifically focused on guided laughter. Laughter yoga’s benefits are based on the premise that the body cannot differentiate between real and fake laughter. Further, fake laughter often turns into real laughter. And anyone can fake it! Carve out a a few minutes with the family to be funny. The dinner table is a great place/time to have each family member share the funniest thing they saw, heard or experienced during the day.

We all know laughter is contagious. If you can start laughing you can get those around you to laugh, giving the gift of health. Laugh for the the health of it, soon you will see that laughter is the most fun you will ever have exercising!

For additional information scroll down and check out the links below.

The Pine Rest Foundation is proud to sponsor “Living Better” a new monthly segment on JQ99.3. The segments will focus on everyday individual and family concerns, and will feature Pine Rest psychiatrist, Dr. Carolyn King in an interview format with JQ 99’s on-air morning personalities, Chris & Emilee.

You can catch “Living Better” on the fourth Tuesday of every month on JQ99.3 between 11am and 2pm.

Carolyn King, MD is a child and adult psychiatrist at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health System in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Dr. King’s clinical experience includes child inpatient and outpatient, as well as adult inpatient and outpatient psychiatry. Dr. King specializes in the treatment of Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, and Developmental Delays across the Life Span.
Dr. Carolyn King

Additional Information, Resources and Links:

http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/other-emotions/laughter4.htm
http://helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm
http://hplusmagazine.com/2010/03/31/laugh-loud-laugh-hard-live-long/
http://humormatters.com/definition.htm
http://www.laughteryoga.org/
http://mayoclinic.com/health/stress-relief/SR00034
http://moodletter.com/Humor.htm
http://moodletter.com/Laughter.html
http://psychologytoday.com/articles/199607/happily-ever-laughter
http://thehealthylivinglounge.com/2010/08/16/shift-your-mood-with-a-laughter-experiement/
http://uihealthcare.com/topics/medicaldepartments/psychiatry/laughter/index.html
http://washingtonexaminer.com/entertainment/health/hearty-indeed-laughter-strengthens-immune-system-improves-mood
http://worksmartlivesmart.com/files/File/articles/993-Laughter_And_Mood.pdf
<img src="https://pinerest.files.wordpress.com/2011/03