This article was published in the Fibromialgia Support Group of Winnipeg Bulletin
Rolande Kirouac
Pain Management and Laughter?
We all want to BE good things: be healthy, be loving, be happy. Besides eating our vegetables there’s one thing we absolutely need to do and it’s really simple: just laugh! It starts with a smile. This is no joke. Really! Try it right now. Smile! I know it feels fake but trust me, just smile. Put a smile on your face, the type that stretches from ear to ear. Close your eyes and keep smiling for 30 seconds; that’s all it takes to go from glum to giggly.
Getting ourselves into a positive state of mind is sometimes the most difficult thing to do, however it is the place to be! It’s the same thing as getting our bodies in shape. We all know that going for an evening walk is so much better than watching television and yet getting off the couch is the most difficult thing to do. Amazingly, once we get going on our walk, we are immediately energized, motivated, and feeling good about ourselves.
It’s exactly the same thing with our minds. Getting rid of negative thoughts and getting ourselves in a “feel good” state of mind starts with a smile. Once the smile gets going we are immediately energized, motivated, and feeling good about ourselves.
One of the greatest barriers to a positive state of mind is searching for funny things. We hope that something funny is going to happen and this will help us laugh. Here’s the good news: we don’t need something funny happening around us; we can laugh for no reason at all. Kids do it all the time; they just laugh for no reason because it feels good. If we did it as kids, why can’t we do it as adults? We hold back laughter, suppress it, or change it, making sure that it’s a good laugh, avoiding all incidents of spitting, snorting, and other unmentionables because of our fear of looking bad.
Everyone wants to look their best, but the truth is that we are not going to be looking our best bent over roaring with laughter. As we start laughing our minds will say: Stop it, I think I look stupid. We have to learn to ignore our minds and answer back with “So what!” Say that out loud: “So what!”
We want to be able to get rid of the barriers because they prevent us from developing and sustaining a positive state of mind. The more time we spend in a positive state of mind, the easier it isfor us to deal with the challenges that arise around us.
A friend of mine has been treated for rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia for the last six years. There is some good news. Her illness has changed her outlook on life andshe is now able to think for the better:“I don’t take myself as seriously as I used to; laughter has helped me to lighten up and see more humour in what I do. In dealing with a chronic illness, I just weigh myself down if I take things too seriously”.
When the chips are down, lighten up by spending some time with a “laughter friend” or reconnecting with the things that put a smile on your face. Is it the scent of flowers, the sight of a wonderful sunset, a walk in the park, eating a hot dog with mustard and ketchup?
As for dealing with doctors and therapists, laughter has to be part of the treatment. My friend says: “If it weren’t for my doctor’s willingness to share a laugh, I probably wouldn’t have laughed when I needed it most”.
I would go so far as to say that if a doctor can’t or won’t laugh, find another doctor. Learning to smile, giggle, and laugh more easily and more often has a profound and positive effect on health and well-being, not to mention the workplace environment.
Just laugh! It WILL change your life. Heck, it might even save it!
Rolande Kirouac
Professional Member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers
C0-author in the book Leadership Gurus Speak Out
204-256-6215