It has been known for awhile now that a little humor and some positive thinking can take you a long way in the emotional healing process. Of course this is always easier said than done!! On April 28th of this year I was diagnosed as having stage 4 lymphoma. If someone had told me to be positve and "look at the bright side" I would have thought they were crazy! I just had to overcome my epilepsy and now this!! My doctors can not seem to stress enough with me how a positive outlook will effect my healing process, it's impact on my treatment and my ability to cope.
Hope and faith disappear quickly and easily when you have to live with serious illness or condition. It has been documented that negative emotions create chemicals which have a harmful effect on the bodies natural balance.
It is said that for every 10 minuets of good laughter, not just a smile, you can achieve an average of 2 hours of deep sleep a night. Laughter creates an environment which allows an entry point for positive emotions to go to work. The endorphines created by these are ones which aid in sleep and are natural pain killers within the body.
St. Joseph's Hospital, in Houston Texas, has what is known as the Living Room. It is located on the cancer floor and is set up to look like anything but a hospital. It is one of over 2 dozen such facilities in the U.S. These environments serve to brighten the patients moods and promote laughter and healing. They combine humorous movies with various pleasurable arts activities to release the negative emotions.
Remember laughter and outlook should not replace proper medical care but it can sure help. It has been shown that a positive outlook raises the level of immune system cells which aid in fighting infections. A study of geriatric patients showed that a good sense of humor was the common thread in the healthiest and longest living patients.
Humor not only enhances healing but is a great stress reliever. It puts away negative thoughts and allows you to put things into perspective easier. Studies at Stanford University have shown that laughter gives you the same results as exercise. It increases the heart rate and metabolisim.
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