By: Marcia King-Gamble
www.lovemarcia.com
Have you ever met someone who is twenty plus years younger than you are but looks--- how do I put it delicately….old?
I have, and while genetics may play a huge part in
maintaining youthful looks, your general outlook on life plays an even greater
part on maintaining a youthful face.
My sister, (the world’s skeptic,) often says there’s no old,
cranky people, these are folks that have been cranky all of their lives. She
thinks that eventually crankiness reflects on your face.
Normally I roll my eyes and let her talk, but on reflection,
there is some truth to this.
Take my friend, I’ll call him Norman, (easily one of the best-looking
men I know.) Norman has the most negative personality I have ever encountered.
Norman takes pride in his body and health. He bikes, runs, and has nothing good
to say about anyone who is one pound overweight. But Norman, as he has aged,
now has a perpetual scowl on his face which mars his good looks. He now resembles the curmudgeon he is.
Another friend, on the high side of seventy, you would never
believe her age. Her positivity reflects on her face and in her wide smile. She’s
wrinkle-free and has more energy than you and me.
There's some short-term benefits of laughter. Let's look at them.
Laughter doesn't just lighten
your load mentally it induces physical changes in your body.
Laughter can stimulate your
organs. It enhances your intake of oxygen and stimulates your heart and lungs.
It increases the endorphins that stimulate the brain.
Laughter fires up and then cools
down your stress response. It increases and decreases your heart rate and blood
pressure, resulting in a more relaxed you. A good laugh can also stimulate circulation
and make muscles relax. Both reduce the physical symptoms of stress.
As for long term benefits, laughter has
been proven to improve your immune system. Negative thoughts create a chemical
reaction bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity.
Positive thoughts release neuropeptides that help fight stress and more serious
illnesses. It’s sort of a mind over matter
thing and may even be the reason some survive serious illnesses and others who
have given up, don’t. It lessens
depression and anxiety which makes you feel happier.
Look at the popularity of that emoticon 'Happy Face,' you can spot it everywhere. It’s on clothes, backpacks, sheets, just everywhere
you look. I sure as heck would like to have been the inventor of that smiley face .
Laughter even relieves pain, causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers. Laughter also makes it easier to cope with difficult situations. It helps you connect with other people. Now more than ever we need that connection.
Many people experience
depression, sometimes due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen that depression and anxiety and make the person feel happier.
Given all the benefits of a good
laugh (which cost nothing, by the way) it would seem worthwhile to turn up the
corners of your mouth and attempt to smile, then follow with a big belly laugh.
The result of laughter is a
more relaxed and less tense you. So, why not enjoy the wonders of a good,
hearty laugh? It may be more beneficial than the medicine your doctor prescribes.
About
Marcia King-Gamble
Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble
originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the
same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive has spent
most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has
penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. She has contributed to Michael Fiore’s DigitalRomanceInc
and served as a moderator on the now defunct eHarmony advice boards. Having witnessed the bad, the ugly, and the
not so good in relationships, she still prefers to write about happily ever
after. Caring for her animal family keeps her grounded and sane.
Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com
or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS
Be sure to join her newsletter mailing
list.
4 comments:
Great post on the benefits of laughter, Marcia. When I don't find humor in something (book, movie, job, etc.), I move on or at least make a plan to move on. Life is too short to spend it complaining, negative, seeing the worst. It can take some work to find the gratitude but if we look for it and are open to it showing up in a way that may be different from what we expect, it will be there.
Holding positive thoughts that the volcanic eruption has not harmed the people who are dear to you.
So much truth to what you said.
Laughter is the best medicine.
I have always admired your positive outlook Judith. Thanks for the well wishes about my Vincentian Peeps during this trying time for a small unknown island.
Katheen I have learned to laugh in the face of adversity. It's a great coping skill.
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