Laugh, and Laugh Some More
I love Chapter 6 in the book Radical Remission: Increasing Positive Emotions. Happiness, Joy, and love are the three positive emotions that I’m working to practice on a daily basis. I had no idea of the overwhelming benefit that applying these attributes in our lives play in keeping our bodies healthy, and healing them when they are out of sorts.
From the onset of my diagnosis, and once I made it past accepting that what I am dealing with may be a new norm for a season (and only a season), I sought to find the silver lining in it. Thanksgiving and gratitude were the first and foremost and, like any other trial we go through, plays a significant role in cultivating positive emotions. I sought to be truly grateful for all that I have and all that I am. Starting each day with gratitude is HUGE!
Giving (and receiving) love is vital; I’m talking genuine agape love when you give from the heart. I think this is one of the most powerful and necessary. Loving yourself is paramount. Giving to yourself in small ways of self-care is the first step to truly loving others. Remember, we are told to love our neighbors as ourselves. Some of our neighbors are probably getting a raw deal.
One stage 3 ovarian cancer patients stated, “Cancer patients should not pay attention on the treatment but on bettering their normal life. When they change like this, then everything will change.”
So what happens when we express positive emotions? First of all, there is an immediate and powerful connection between the mind and the body. When we feel joy or love, our hormones tell our bodies to spend time repairing broken cells, digesting food, and healing infections. We must get out of the fight-or-flight mode, better known as resistance. Once we do, the body naturally begins to repair itself; like rocket fuel for the immune system.
Kelly (the author) states, “Whenever we feel the emotions of love, joy, and happiness, the gland sin our brains release a surge of healing hormones into our blood streams, including serotonin, relaxin, oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins.” They tell our bodies to so some extremely important things such as: Lower blood pressure and heart rate, and cortisol (stress hormone); Improve blood circulation; deepen breathing; Increase white and red blood cell activity which help the immune system; increase natural killer cell activity which helps the immune system fight cancer; scan for cancer and remove any cancer cells. This should be enough to send us all seeking ways to become more happy, joyful, and loving humans.
One cancer patient went out and purchased every comic video she could find just to ignite her laughter gene!! Marion and I attempted this but there are so few today that are truly funny (vile content) that it has been a challenge finding something to laugh at. Nevertheless we have found ways to integrate laughter on a daily basis.
Another when shopping and purchased a pair of purple high-top sneakers and wore them to her chemo treatments. Of course, we don’t have to spend money to be good to ourselves, we can simply so things like take a break and read a good book, go take a ride or walk in a park and breathe in all that is good. Be creative, just do it. The benefits are enormous to your soul. Doing this is similar to taking pain medication and can make you feel noticeably better.
One thing I have found extremely helpful is, rather than going to God with petitions, go to God and listen…just listen. We are always the ones talking in prayer. This is not prayer. We need to allow room for God to speak. After all, He is the one that created our bodies and knows best how we need to take care of them.
Okay, I could write on and on about this topic. Just remember, “The battle is not our, it’s the Lords” and we are to go about being happy, joyful, and loving. The rest is up to Him.
Have a blessed day! You are loved.
Yvonne
