Firstly, my condolences go out to all
those who’ve suffered the loss of life during this challenging time. For all
those who’ve contracted the illness, I pray you have a speedy recovery. For
those nursing and supporting family and friends I pray you have sufficient
health and strength to see you through to a positive outcome.
Coronavirus aka Covid 19 has brought
out the best and worst in many. We’ve seen panic buying, price hikes, scammers
knocking on doors exploiting the vulnerable and a lot of despicable behaviour. But
enough of that let's concentrate on the positive. We’ve seen families, friends
and communities come together. In the news, we’ve heard the story of a
9-year-old boy spending his pocket money to buy essentials for the elderly.
We’ve heard and seen many a positive story from NHS and many of the essential frontline
service providers going above and beyond the call of duty but most importantly
we’ve seen compassion in the face of adversity.
Why
we should endeavour to steer clear of fear now more than ever.
Fear
often times is accompanied by stress and anxiety and when combined can play
havoc with your immune system. A weakened immune system not only makes us more
perceptible to the coronavirus but opens the door to a multitude of conditions
like asthma, excessive hair loss, mouth ulcers and
excessive dryness, skin outbreaks, such as eczema and psoriasis, mental problems,
such as insomnia, headaches, personality changes and irritability, spasmodic
pains in the neck and shoulders, musculoskeletal aches, lower back pain, and
various minor muscular twitches and nervous tics.
Why we should be
looking to laugh in the face of adversity.
It’s
true: laughter is strong medicine, it’s fun, free, and easy to use. It
draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional
changes in the body. Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood,
diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. Nothing
works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance
than a good laugh.
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.
As children, we used to laugh hundreds of times a
day, but as adults, we struggle to reach double figures. Life tends to be more
serious and laughter more infrequent. But by seeking out more opportunities for
humour and laughter, you can improve your emotional health, strengthen your
relationships, find greater happiness—and even add years to your life.
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