Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Anxiety And Humour - Laughing Can Help

Everyone has their own idea of what they consider funny. I believe that humour depends on the mood you are in. Sometimes what you think is funny today may cause you to be annoyed another day. Perhaps humour is a subjective thing that feeds off of a persons ability to relax and respond naturally.

I know that when you have a good belly laugh as it is called you forget everything temporarily. When you put your heart and sole into laughing at something it is good for anxiety, stress and depression. The endorphins released in the brain act on your mood. I personally have experienced this when watching a comedic movie. I really do not usually watch these types of movies but whenever I do I get the same reaction in my mood. I feel happier and cannot believe I am having such a good time.

How would a person who is suffering from anxiety and other traumatic issues even get to the point of watching a movie that was funny? Feeling anxious, panicky, depressed and stressed usually does not make you want to sit and watch something funny.

I would invite someone to join me for the movie at home on the television or I would offer to take him or her out to the theatre and pay his or her admission. Perhaps getting a group of friends together and going to a comedy club would be a suggestion. Just getting the person occupied and involved with something other than their problems would be a diversion and help give them some relief from their situation. Even if they did not laugh outwardly and you seemed to be dragging them along, I feel that getting up and moving and being distracted can and has worked for me when I felt depressed.

In other words I feel that humour is the best medicine and although it is not the total answer to all of our life problems it does give us a safe way to escape temporarily the moments in life that we needs help with.If you look around you there is something funny going on at least once a day. Add humour to your other techniques when working on anxiety and panic. It takes repetition and a desire to change for something to become a habit. I have read that twenty-one days is the usual time for a change to occur when a person is motivated by emotion. Associate the behaviour you want to change with an emotion. This is a powerful tool to use in combination because these two things impress the change you want into your subconscious mind.

Put one funny joke, movie, story or recognize those situations that can come up unexpectedly in your daily routine. Maybe you will be the one who is providing the comic relief for someone else and helping him or her forget the anxiety they have for a moment. Doing something for someone else is also a way to feel good about you.Laughing at and with yourself even when you are alone or in a crowd is a way of getting to know, care and value yourself.

Labels: , ,


Comments: Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?