"Laughter is the best medicine......." It's an old adage, and that's probably because there is great truth behind it.
I was tired today. I was tired, and before I ate too many chicken wings for lunch, I was hungry too. Tired and hungry don't work well for me. In the least...... (neither does eating too many chicken wings, by the way, but that's another blog.)
Besides being tired and hungry, I spent the better part of my drive to work this morning going through my mental "to do" list, (and yes, paying attention to the road should have been at the top!) which left me walking into my office this morning tired, hungry and overwhelmed. That was even before I realized that I forgot to take out the overflowing garbage can this morning. UGH!!!
So, like the grown-up that I am, I flopped down in my chair with a big old pout on my face and turned on my computer- grumbling out loud, just waiting to find an e-mail that could make my morning any more unpleasant.
Low and behold- I found the opposite.
A wonderful friend had sent me one of those mass forwarded e-mails full of funny pictures. If you've never recieved one, they are just a compilation of funny photos- usually having to do with a theme that someone, somewhere out in cyberspace, put together. People forward them and forward them, and that's where the term "going viral" comes from-- these things spread like smiles in a candy store! I would link you to the e-mail here, but I'm pretty sure Compeer doesn't want me involving them in a copyright nightmare....so to view some, try google-ing "funny photos" instead.
I scrolled down through the photos this morning, and my grumbling turned to laughter.
After viewing maybe ten of these hilarious scenarios, I felt my mood to be entirely lifted.
I thought to myself, "I should do this every morning!"
What a thought- start every day laughing.
And why stop there?
Laughter produces endorphins, one of the body’s natural painkillers. Laughter improves immune function, and decreases stress hormones. In fact, a good belly laugh is literally good for the heart, because when we laugh it causes our blood vessels to dilate!
Why not pick up a comedian on CD and listen to them in the car, or on your headset while taking the train or bus?
Catch a funny movie instead of flipping channels.
Laughing changes the chemicals in our brains to support positive emotions and healing. I say we can't get enough!!
(Chicken wings, I'm finding out, we can get enough of.....)
What other ways do you fit laughter into your life? Favorite funny movies? Good (and clean) jokes??
Post a comment to share.
Let's laugh together!
-Jennifer
Compeer of Greater Buffalo, Adult Coordinator
If you have topics, articles, recipes, photos or stories to share, please send them to jennifer@compeerbuffalo.org.
6 comments:
When I was in my senior year of high school our english teacher who I had every morning sat the whole class down and asked us a question. He asked us what was the most important thing we learned this year and to share it with the class. The most important thing I learned in that early morning class had nothing to do with english, it was simply "always find something to make you laugh to start off the day". Thank you for reminding me of that Jennifer.
And there will be lots more fun at the Compeer-featuring National Buffalo Wing Fest (Sept. 4 and 5) in the Kids Fun Zone. Contact us if you are interested in helping out. 883-3331
Congrats, Jen, on getting the most tech impaired person in the office through the process of subscribing. This kind of stuff keeps me laughing--and having great office colleagues at an organization like ours doing the uplifting work we do every day makes even a technophobe like me feel happy moving into the 21st century! Thanks!
Tired and hungry is never a good combination. My kids make me laugh. I was all emotional and sad this morning, dropping my oldest off at kindergarten for the first time and then he was his usual goofball self and made me laugh instead. I felt so much better.
Found you from Imperfect Daisies!
Thanks for posting, Shell-- more great things to come!
Jen
You're so right Jen! I also make it a point, at the end of the night, to find someone pleasant and funny to talk to. It helps me release all the stress and hardships from the day. And well, human communication is always great, seeing as I don't get out all that often. I have this one pen pal who always makes me laugh and helps me are the brighter side of things. We talk about 2-5 time a week. But I digress. Laughter lifts the soul and is indeed the best medicine anyone could ever receive.
So excited to meet new friends. God is Good. Awesome things ahead! You never can have to many friends in your life.
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