Laughter is a powerful healing force. During the holiday season, laughing with friends and family is an excellent way to spend time. Laughing helps our seniors bring joy and health into their lives as well.
The SMILE study conducted in Australia with patients in 36 nursing homes found that elderly patient mental health improved with play and laughter therapy. During this season of giving, consider giving the gift of laughter to your older relatives and friends.
Laughter is not only good for our elders, it is good for all of us. An article about the science of laughter published in Psychology Today noted that laughter is a social phenomenon affecting not only the person receiving the stimulus to laugh but the person trying to create the laughter as well.
Robert Povine wrote in the article that laugher is “not a learned group reaction but an instinctive behavior programmed by our genes. Laughter bonds us through humor and play.”
The article mentioned that laughter might help people tolerate discomfort or pain better than people that don’t laugh.
Povine went on to suggest that laughter’s primary goal is to bring people together. Socialization may be causing more of the healing effects than laughter itself. In all of the studies it has been hard to separate laughter, humor and the relaxed setting that allows for it to happen.
The bottom line is, laughter is good medicine for us all. So during this holiday season laugh with your friends, your family and your elders. Get in as many laughs as you can and watch the healing happen.
Live Vibrantly,
Dr. Dae
Dr. Daemon Jones is your diabetes reversal, hormones, metabolism and weight loss expert. Dr. Dae is a naturopathic doctor who treats patients all over the country using Skype and phone visits. Visit her or schedule a free consultation at her website www.HealthyDaes.org/
Sources:
" Laughter good medicine for dementia patients:study| Reuters." Business & Financial News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Dec. 2013.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/29/us-australia-laughter-dementia-idUSTRE78S0NN20110929
"The Science of Laughter | Psychology Today." Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Dec. 2013.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200011/the-science-laughter
Reviewed December 26, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith