It's the last holiday of summer. With Labor Day here, many bemoan the end of trips to the shore and the chance to work on their tan while reading a good book. I'm always the optimist, so I'd rather daydream about crisp fall days and the smell of fallen leaves... autumn is my favorite time of year. If you're feeling that back-to-school slump, I want to encourage you to get happy, because it does a lot more for us than we might think.
There are real consequences to our sour moods and surly dispositions, no matter how temporary they are. Hormones are naturally generated by our moods, and our choice of mental state can truly color an hour, or a day, or entire weeks of our lives. On the 'bad' side we have adrenaline (epinephrine), the sympathetic 'fight-or-flight' hormone, and cortisol (the stress hormone, which suppresses the immune system). These bad stress hormones are naturally produced in our brains and adrenal glands, and then our bodies (and minds and moods) have to deal with them.
On the 'good' side are endorphins. These are the feel-good hormones produced by positive thoughts and actions, including humor and exercise (you've heard of the 'runner's high'? those are caused by endorphins). Endorphins were first identified in the 1970's; the name is from 'endogenous morphine' implying that endorphins are a self-produced morphine, that our bodies make on their own. The wonderful thing about these feel-good hormones is that laughter, humor and simple positive thoughts and reinforcements can generate them. It's that easy.
Remember that saying, "laughter is the best medicine"? Well, there's good proof that it's true. Dr. Lee S. Berk has researched hope, laughter and humor, and the healing and health benefits these have on our bodies. The results are positive and, frankly, wonderful. Dr. Berk's research began on the positive effects of physical activity, and grew from the conviction of, 'a merry heart does good, like medicine.' (If you know your Old Testament of the bible, you'll recognize that as Proverbs 17:22... good stuff.)
Dr. Berk's prescription: "Laugh until your face hurts, then call me in the morning." Seriously, his research is based on the premise that 75% to 80% of visits to primary care doctors are the result of stress-related disease in the individual. Reduce stress through humor, laughter and positive influences, and you reduce the need for doctor-related care substantially.
Check out these valuable articles. The first references Dr. Berk's great work, as shared with Prevention Magazine, and the second is a wonderful anthology of the health benefits of laughter and humor:
Laughter is the Best Medicine - from Helpguide.org
Have a HAPPY and wonderful end to summer!
By the Way
I love Prevention Magazine and Rodale Press. If you're not familiar with them, click through and check out their content and resources. The world is a better place with these useful reinforcements of healthful living and thoughtful choices.
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