"We are at war! It's official. We are at war with Covid-19."
News reports remind us of this fact daily.... hourly.... constantly, and whilst we cannot stick our heads in the sand regarding this most difficult time in history, we need to maintain a healthy balance re: what we watch and listen to in order to take care of our mental and physical well-being.
A good way to balance all the sad news we are hearing is to include some light-hearted fun / humour into our day where appropriate. It's a well known fact that laughter is good for our health, e.g.
The Bible sums up the above points in a single sentence:
A good way to balance all the sad news we are hearing is to include some light-hearted fun / humour into our day where appropriate. It's a well known fact that laughter is good for our health, e.g.
- Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
- Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
- Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
- Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
- Laughter burns calories. OK, so it’s no replacement for going to the gym, but one study found that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn approximately 40 calories—which could be enough to lose three or four pounds over the course of a year.
- Laughter lightens anger’s heavy load. Nothing diffuses anger and conflict faster than a shared laugh. Looking at the funny side can put problems into perspective and enable you to move on from confrontations without holding onto bitterness or resentment.
- Laughter may even help you to live longer. A study in Norway found that people with a strong sense of humor outlived those who don’t laugh as much! The difference was particularly notable for those battling cancer. - helpguide.org
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The Bible sums up the above points in a single sentence:
“A happy heart is good medicine and
a joyful mind causes healing”
Whilst we shouldn’t indulge in any form of ungodly humor, there’s nothing wrong with including good clean humor in our day.
Ecclesiastes 3:4 teaches us:
"There is a time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance."
Conclusion
Different seasons in our lives call for different responses, so let's be serious when we need to be serious.... but let's also be mindful of Proverbs 17:22 too.
Don't be afraid or ashamed to laugh during a time of crisis. As well as crying—which I wrote about and shared in my post Cry Baby! yesterday—laughter is necessary and good for us too, and comes as a welcome relief in times like these.
Different seasons in our lives call for different responses, so let's be serious when we need to be serious.... but let's also be mindful of Proverbs 17:22 too.
Don't be afraid or ashamed to laugh during a time of crisis. As well as crying—which I wrote about and shared in my post Cry Baby! yesterday—laughter is necessary and good for us too, and comes as a welcome relief in times like these.
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