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You’ve got to have a laugh...
The recent Wellbeing and Mental Health sessions I’ve been running have had people move through a whole plethora of emotions, having the opportunity to consider life’s many experiences and how they can impact us.….and people (who initially found it a little disconcerting, or even downright strange, to hear me say that, without my regular dose of those crazy ‘Carry On’ films to keep me sane, life would be just that much harder to cope with) suddenly found themselves admitting to some, shall we say, rather interesting stay-well habits, that really left all my peculiar pastimes standing!?!
I’ll leave the end of that last paragraph to your imagination!?!….but believe me, this is proof-positive that laughter is not just the best, it’s also the cheapest form of medication you can administer, for ANY condition, if you want to feel instantly well again! The great, silent movie star, Charlie Chaplin, said that a day without laughter is a day wasted and how right he was…and still is. It’s taken over two decades for my family to see the true benefits of laughter and that, without it, we would simply have caved in years ago with all that life has thrown at us – the choice was to come back with a burst of laughter or drown from the emotional upheaval.
My brother’s birthday in April, reinforced all this – time spent remembering the good old days, mucking about with siblings, extended time together as a family, past disasters now spoken of and seen as victories, plus the tragic times accepted with grace. Enough to make you cry with joy!!
It’s not been easy and it still proves very tough at times, but there is a new mantra we go by, by way of a metal sign that has full pride of place in my mother’s house: “This family knows how to put the fun in dysfunctional” and it’s this that really has been our saving grace!
For those of you who want to learn more about the power of laughter, check out Stephanie Davis, founder of Laughology, and her book: “Improve your Life with the Science of Laughter” – she is, quite literally, on the very same page!