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James Donaldson on Mental Health – The Power Of Laughter – Using Humor To Boost Mental Health
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Whether you giggle at something funny you hear from a friend or laugh hysterically at a stand-up comedian in a comedy club, laughter is good for your mental health. It’s a natural remedy for mental health, and it relieves stress, as well.
Short Term Mental Health Benefits of Laughter
There are short and long term benefits of laughter for your mental health. When you laugh, it triggers positive mental and physical changes that will aid your mind in relaxing. Short term laughter benefits include:
Improving Sleep
Laughter can help you sleep better, which is very important in preserving mental health. If you laugh a lot, you can improve the quality of your sleep, and lessen depressed feelings.
Relieving Tension
Laughter stimulates a speeding up of blood circulation in the body. When that happens, it often causes a calming sensation that will ease away stress and tension.
Stimulating Organs
Laughing improves the amount of oxygen-rich air that you intake. That stimulates organs including the lungs and the heart. Laughter also causes your brain to release endorphins, which are hormones that give you a relaxed mind and feelings of pleasure.
#James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.#http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book, #CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
Some of the long-term laughter benefits to mental health include:
Improved Memory
Laughter is related to the workings of the brain, and it helps improve your ability to retain memories. When humor relevant to facts is shared, you may have a clearer recollection of those facts. Information presented to you along with humor, then, has a better chance of being remembered.
Reduced Stress
A clinical study of therapeutic effects of humor on stress hormones, conducted by Jongeun Yim, a DSc in therapy at Sahmyook University, found that laughter helps in the reduction of those hormones.
Cortisol is one of the major hormones related to stress, and it circulates through your body when you are stressed out. Decreasing cortisol reduces the stress you experience.
You may take that a step further and try to find humorous aspects of stressful problems. If you have made a mistake, and need to forgive yourself and then move on, laughter and humor are effective coping mechanisms. Laughing helps to alleviate anxiety and stress you feel during challenging or difficult times.
Improved Relationships
It’s certainly acceptable to laugh at notions that are amusing or ludicrous. Your relationships will benefit when you connect with people using humor. It helps ease stress or anxiety that other people may be experiencing.
Improved Understanding of Yourself and Others
Benefits of laughing go past the physical act. They help you to connect with the way you understand yourself and others. Good humor is vital to compassion and empathy. It allows forgiveness to come more easily, which helps your interactions with others.
Turn to things that make you laugh during stressful times. Funny memes and social media humor videos and more than just quick laughs. They help you in coping with anxiety, grief and fear. You’ll also activate mental health benefits for yourself and others.
Bringing People Together
Shared laughs between people create bonds within them. You can likely remember times when contagious laughter spread through groups of people. You’ll feel more at ease and less anxious when you feel closer to the people you are with.
Conclusion
Laughter as therapy, whether experienced naturally or in therapeutic sessions, is more than just a way to make you feel good. It’s a vital tool used to enhance well-being and mental health. Whether you share laughter with your friends, watch a funny movie or crack good jokes, laughter is a powerful way to boost your mental health.
Next time you’re feeling down or stressed out, remember that laughter can help you to rid yourself of those feelings, and it’s free, too. Embrace the humor in your own life and as brought in by others, so you’ll laugh more often. It’s one of the easiest ways to boost your mental health.
Photo by Mental Health America (MHA) on Pexels.com
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James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at [email protected] and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
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