| April 15th, 2007 |
| Focus on Laughter |
Hello Friends,
I love to laugh. I have a loud raucous laugh, but it's a good laugh. It's a laugh
that leaves no doubt in your mind that I am having a good time.
How do you laugh? Do you chuckle or giggle or snort when you laugh? What makes you
laugh? Do you find yourself chortling from a gentle tease, a good silly joke, a funny
movie or just being around great friends telling stories?
Laughter is good for our mental and physical health. Laughter can reduce stress,
lower blood pressure, elevate your mood and help to create healthy social interactions.
And, it is free! No co-pays exist for a good, hearty laugh.
Happy Laughing!
Ann |
In this issue:
• A Few Benefits of a Good Laugh
• Adding More Laughter to Life
• I Love to Read
• A Laugh on Me
|
A Few Benefits of a Good Laugh
Laughter lowers blood pressure
People who laugh heartily on a regular basis have lower standing blood pressure than
the average person.
Laughter decreases stress hormones
Laughter also increases infection fighting antibodies, attentiveness, heart rate,
and pulse.
Laughter gives our bodies a workout
Laughter can be a great workout for your diaphragm, abdominal, respiratory, facial,
leg, and back muscles. A hearty laugh can burn calories equivalent to several minutes
of aerobic exercise.
Humor improves brain function
Laughter stimulates both sides of the brain to enhance learning and keeps the brain
alert allowing people to retain more information.
Laughter elevates your mood
Laughing at ourselves and the situation and looking at a problem from a different
perspective can provide opportunities for greater objectivity and insight.
Humor brings people together
Humor helps us avoid loneliness by connecting with others who are attracted to genuine
cheerfulness. And the good feeling that we get when we laugh can remain with us as
an internal experience even after the laughter subsides.
|
Adding More Laughter to Life
Look for humor.
Find the absurd around you each day.
Observe children to learn how to see amusement in the most ordinary things.
Hang around funny friends.
Take a humor time-in each day.
Allow yourself to have fun everyday.
Spend time with others that see the bright side of life.
Figure out what makes you laugh and do it (or read it or watch it) more.
Surround yourself with funny people -- be with them every chance you get.
Be funny every chance you get -- as long as it's not at someone else's expense!
|
I Love to Read
If you enjoy self-help, self improvement books, consider joining me at Boomer Women
Speak, for a discussion of the book, "Coming of Age....All Over Again," by Kate Klimo and
Buffy Shutt. Boomer Women Speak provides a free forum for women to discuss, honestly,
issues that are inherent in a boomer womans life. I will be moderating the book group
and would love to have you join in the discussion.
If you do join us, and find that you would like to be coached around some of the
topics we discuss, I would love to become your personal life coach. Simply contact
me at Noetic Coach
or email me using the information listed at the bottom of each Noetic Coach Newsletter.
Have a wonderful month!
Ann |
A Laugh on Me
We had a freaky snow storm in March - 3 days of constant snow adding up to about
5 feet of snow. Dennis was working and I was doing most of the snow removal and finding
plenty to whine about.
I posted a "whine"
in the boomer women forum that I hang around in an attempt to get a bit of sympathy.
Instead, we turned the whine into a good amount of laughter. I am sharing a few
of the posts here to get your funny bones working.
Feel free to laugh at my expense!
"I woke up today and found that all the shoveling and cold, wet weather had left
my arthritic left knee in real pain. I limped around the house dragging my left leg
rather than bending it. I was making a real scene going up and down the stairs yelling
"Ow! Ow! Ow!", as if it would help the pain, trying to get my darn washing and cleaning
done in between all of the shoveling.
"I went outside to clean up the latest bit of snow on the deck and my slippers got
slightly wet. When I came in and headed down the steps to the washer and dryer, I
slipped in my wet slippers and slid on my behind all the way to the bottom.
"Boy, now I have a sore knee, rear end and arm from trying to stop the inevitable
slide down the steps.
"Waa Waa Waa"
And a few of the comments:
"Remember the ads on TV for Charmin, where the kids put toilet paper on their butts
when they know they are going to get a spanking? Now, that's a great idea! Next
time I head down the stairs, I will pad my behind."
"Sorry, that was a bum deal."
"I am enjoying all this humor at the expanse, er, ah, I mean expense, of my little,
lumpy tushy."
When a doctor visit was suggested:
"A butt cast, now wouldn't that be something? And when it was removed, you could
bronze it for a most unusual sculpture and use it for art in the bathroom or front
lawn to moon pesky D-to-D sales people and uninvited guests."
"A bronze butt? I think not - I am surely worth golden GLOBES!"
"The butt cast has me cracking up!"
"Sorry we've made you the butt of our jokes."
"There once was a girl name Anno
She fell in the air like a plane-O!
She went bumpity bump
Landed right on her rump
And now she's learned to complain-O"
Are you laughing yet?
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