Humor and Fibromyalgia - a natural healing pair
Laughter and humor are key to curing Fibromyalgia syndrome. It seems so elusive to someone suffering daily with the aches and pains of Fibromyalgia syndrome. You say to yourself - What is so funny? How can I laugh when I hurt so much? There is nothing funny in my life, only pain. And I am so tired and depressed, I just don’t feel like laughing. My whole life has changed. So, … what’s so funny? All those comments are valid. There is nothing funny about living with Fibromyalgia. Nothing funny about living with chronic pain. Nothing funny at all. And that is exactly the reason that you need to consciously and actively bring humor into your life and practice the art of laughter every single day.
So, what is humor and how does it affect health? Humor involves many aspects of the person, including - * Psychological * Physiological * Behavioral * Social * Cognitive * Emotional
The old saying - “Laughter is the best medicine” has been well documented by empirical research that reflects a decrease in pain, increase in quality of life and improved immune function. The increase in stress levels, that go hand in hand with a chronic pain syndrome, such as Fibromyalgia, cause a change in the stress hormone levels, resulting in an increase in physical and emotional stress. This can be reflected by an increase in blood pressure or suppression of the immune system. Laughter and Fibromyalgia don’t seem to go together, but by incorporating laughter into your daily life you will experience positive changes. Laughter boosts the immune system. It gives your body a workout, involving the muscles of the diaphragm, abdomen, face, and back. The respiratory system is involved as the air passages open and heart rate increases sending increased oxygen to your muscles and brain. Find humor and Fibromyalgia will respond positively. But best of all, laughter helps you deal with the stress of illness and the pressures of daily life. It acts as a coping mechanism for all the challenges that you face on a daily basis. Laughter can relieve pent up emotions. Living with the chronic pain and all the other symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia leaves you feeling highly stressed and tense. Laughter is a great way to relieve that stress and eliminate that tension. How may times have you had a good belly laugh and afterwards said - Oh, that felt so good! There are many ways that we experience laughter in our daily lives. But when you are living daily with chronic pain, those things that used to trigger laughter don’t always work. Sometimes it is difficult to simply pull up a smile. Bringing humor and Fibromyalgia together can be difficult at first. This is why it is so important to create a laughter routine through learning to laugh openly. Laughter can help you develop a more positive outlook, a more hopeful attitude and release negative emotions. The decrease in tension and anxiety can enhance healing. Everyone needs a good laugh or two or three or seven, or more, every single day. Someone living with the chronic aches and pain of Fibromyalgia needs it even more.
So, put the pain aside and laugh out loud. Bring laughter and Fibromyalgia together to let the healing begin.
Laugh up the immune system. Laugh out the tension. And laugh in the hope.
Daily laughter exercises - a critical part of your wellness plan.
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