Page 11 - Boca Club News - September '19

Boca Club News, Page 11
Health & Wellness

Reality Check √: ... Healthy Answers on Living

& Loving Life: “Lighten Up, Chill Out!”

By Dale Brown, B.S., M.A., C.E.C. healthy lifestyle. Dale, a Bocaire resident, can be reached school year, he’s worried that his buddies will be in different
Dale is a motivational speaker who at dalebrown@lovingmondays.com. classes and his laughing days will end. The ability to laugh
has spent many years as a Certified Have you ever thought about how good laughing makes seems to come easier when you’re young, before we get
Life Coach and has written numerous you feel? It lifts your spirits and makes you happy. When older and take life more seriously.
articles and ebooks relating to self- was the last time you had a really good laugh? Not just a To me, a sense of humor is right up there with other
improvement and ways to build giggle, but rather one that rocked the house? You may have values that hold a place on my list of deal breakers. I grew up
a high-performance team. Her noticed that laughing is contagious. I guess that’s what’s with a father who loved to tell stories, play practical jokes,
education and years of experience fun about going to a comedy club or a movie, where people and make funny faces that made us reel with laughter. It’s
in physical fitness and training of gather for one reason: to give themselves a chance to laugh. not a wonder that when it came to selecting a soul mate,
elite athletes has enabled her to sharpen her knowledge A friend recently told me that her son measures his finding a guy who made me laugh was important. I have
in many health-related areas. The following is one in a friends based upon their ability to laugh together. When to say that to me my husband is hysterical and missed his
series of columns devoted to many topics that deal with these kids team up, they can’t help but have fun just laughing calling as a stand-up comic.
the mind/body connection and the importance of living a about all kinds of things. Now with the start of the new How would you describe your sense of humor? If you
can laugh at little things that happen in life, not get stressed
out over everyday happenings, you could be doing more for
your health than you think.
You may have heard the expression, “Laughter is the
ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE best medicine.” Well, it appears that laughter does more
BOCA RATON for you, both mentally and physically, than you may have
imagined. The study of laughter, known as gelotology, has
proven that your ability to take life a little less seriously
can actually keep your heart healthier. Statistics show that
Sonata Empowers people with heart disease reacted less humorously to life
itself, and even showed more anger and hostility in positive
situations.
hope • understanding • support • confidential • safe Having a good laugh does more than produce a short
hope • understanding • support • confidential • safe
term high; it also has lasting effects on the body, such as:
Lowering blood pressure;
Exercising muscles of the abdomen, face, leg, and back;
Reducing stress hormones, such as cortisol and
adrenaline;
Reducing the frequency of colds–by immunoglobulon
in saliva;
Increasing learning, when during instruction humor led
to increased test scores;
Improving alertness, creativity, and memory.
Not only has the physical value of laughter been found
to keep the doctor away, it has a major relevance to your
mental health. So much so that it has led to the development
of various therapies to help patients cope and treat a variety
of psychological issues. If you would like to sharpen your
laughing skills, one of the following therapies might be just
what you’re looking for:
• Humor Therapy: This type uses funny books, shows,
movies, or stories to spark discussions from patients’ own
Caregiver Support Group humorous experiences, individually or in a group.
• Laughter Therapy: In this case, the client’s laughter

triggers are identified…things like situations, jokes,
comedians, etc. that make him/her laugh. A humor profile is
Every FIRST THURSDAY of the month then created to aid in the laughter therapy on a one-on-one
basis with exercises for the client to practice.
• Laughter Meditation: This therapy consists of three
Please join us
Connecting with others who have the same Please join us stages. Stage one requires the person to stretch every
kinds of struggles as you do is an important muscle without laughter. In stage two the person is asked
Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018
part of coping with Alzheimer’s disease. Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019 to gradually start with a smile and then purposely belly
Groups are facilitated by trained profes- laugh or cry, whichever comes first. In the last stage the
300PM - 4:00PM
sionals or former family caregivers, whose 3:30PM - 4:30PM person suddenly stops laughing or crying, closes his eyes
primary purpose is to provide knowledge Every First Thursday of the Month and breathes in silence, concentrating on the moment. The
Every First Thursday of the Month
about Alzheimer’s disease while allowing entire process takes about 15 minutes and is usually done
Seating is limited
members to receive emotional support and Seating is limited on an individual basis.
encouragement from others in a similar • Laughter Yoga & Laughter Clubs: This exercise
situation. Come See What We is done in a structured format in a group or club with the
use of laughter exercises that last for 30 to 45 minutes.
Have To Offer It incorporates breathing, yoga, stretching exercises, and
Our Support Group Can Help You: laughter without the use of humorous materials.
• Get practical advice and information Whether laughing comes naturally to you or is a coached
• Feel less lonely, isolated or judged behavior, it’s obvious that laughing is a healthy thing to do.
• Help you keep your loved one at home longer
• Gain a sense of empowerment and control Doctors advise us to live a healthy lifestyle that includes
• Improve your quality of life for the person you
• Improve coping skills regular exercise, no smoking, and a diet of whole foods low
care for
• Reduce distress, depression or anxiety in saturated fats to help reduce the risk of heart disease. It
• Develop a clearer understanding of what to seems to me that the inclusion of a daily dose of hearty
expect RSVP to 561.477.8808 laughter is just as important.
It wouldn’t hurt for all of us to “lighten” up, chill out
and not take ourselves so seriously. I’ll leave you with this
quote from laughter therapist, Enda Junkins, which clearly
Come see our BRAND NEW LOOK! sums it up and says it all:
“We need to laugh more and seek stress-reducing humor

in our everyday lives. Laughter is the human gift for coping
9591 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, FL 33434 and for survival…Laughter helps us roll with the punches
that inevitably come our way. The power of laughter is
561.477.8808 unleashed every time we laugh. In today’s stressful world,
we need to laugh much more.”

Learn more at sonatasouth.com ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY # 9911
Accepting Private Pay, Long Term Care Insurance and VA Benefi ts for those who qualify