The Stress Hormone
The stress hormone, cortisol, is public health enemy number
one. Scientists have known for years that elevated cortisol levels: interfere
with learning and memory, lower immune function and bone density, increase
weight gain, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease... The list goes on and
on.
Chronic stress and
elevated cortisol levels also increase risk for depression, mental illness, and
lower life expectancy. This week, two separate studies were published in
Science linking elevated cortisol levels as a potential trigger for mental
illness and decreased resilience.
One very effective
method for reducing cortisol levels in the brain is Laughter Therapy. Not only
stimulated but simulated laughter is so beneficial to you on a daily basis.
Stimulated laughter is the kind of laughter that comes from watching a funny
video, a stand-up comic or something that make you laugh. Simulated laughter is
you laughing on your own with no outside stimulus. Try it, just start faking
laughter and if you feel silly doing it, GOOD! Your body does not know the
difference between simulated and stimulated laughter.
Did you know that 20
minutes of hard belly laughs are equivalent to 10 minutes on the treadmill? 30
minutes of good hard solid belly laughs can provide up to eight hours of pain
relief.
More than just brightening up your day, sharing a good laugh
can actually improve your health. The sound of laughter draws people together
in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body.
Laughter can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, strengthen your immune
system, and diminish pain. As children, we used to laugh hundreds of times a
day, but as adults life tends to be more serious and laughter more infrequent.
By seeking out more opportunities for humor and laughter, though, you can
improve your emotional health, strengthen your relationships, find greater
happiness—and even add years to your life.
One of the biggest problems people are facing in this world
today is depression coupled with low self-esteem. Everyone seems to be
responding to this problem with drugs, either the legal ones from a Doctor or self-medicating
with illegal ones. Most anti-depressants come with a warning that says
"May cause severe depression or thoughts of suicide" What is wrong
with this picture? Did I miss something; aren’t these drugs supposed to do the
opposite?
Some people have found a solution, a great alternative and
its worth trying. FRIENDS. You need to find friends that make you, get up off
your butts and get out. Find friends who make you LAUGH TILL YOU CRY and who
won’t let you sit on your pity pots. Friends who will tell you when your
thinkin is stinkin and spray a little love deodorizer on it
Thump your Thalamus, stimulate your Hyper Thalamus, and
laugh your tuchas off.
