WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.560 Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another daily 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:05.400 Senior Safety Advice podcast. I'm so glad that 00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:08.199 you're here with me today. I'm Esther Kane, a 00:00:08.199 --> 00:00:10.740 retired occupational therapist and currently 00:00:10.740 --> 00:00:15.220 a certified aging in place specialist. Today 00:00:15.220 --> 00:00:18.179 we're going to talk about sharing joy and why 00:00:18.179 --> 00:00:21.839 laughter is medicine. After all, it is Heart 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:24.839 Health and Emotional Resilience Month this February, 00:00:25.879 --> 00:00:29.600 so laughter, as most of us know, is very, very 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:32.460 good for your heart. What I want to start by 00:00:32.460 --> 00:00:35.820 saying is that laughter is not something extra 00:00:35.820 --> 00:00:38.700 in your life. It's not a bonus. It's not something 00:00:38.700 --> 00:00:42.039 you earn after everything else is done. Laughter 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:46.859 is self -care, real. honest -to -truth self -care. 00:00:47.619 --> 00:00:52.000 It can change the environment of a room full 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:55.359 of people, it can change the moods of people 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:59.060 and yourself, and it can change how people feel 00:00:59.060 --> 00:01:02.619 in their own bodies. And what surprises people 00:01:02.619 --> 00:01:06.579 the most, really, is how physical laughter truly 00:01:06.579 --> 00:01:10.280 is. When you laugh, your breathing deepens. Your 00:01:10.280 --> 00:01:15.280 muscles tend to soften, and your heart rate steadies, 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:18.159 which is, after all, what it's all about, right? 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:21.799 That's not accidental. That's your nervous system 00:01:21.799 --> 00:01:25.319 getting a break. And here's where sharing joy 00:01:25.319 --> 00:01:29.060 really matters. Laughter is even more powerful 00:01:29.060 --> 00:01:33.879 when it's shared. A smile exchanged, a joke that 00:01:33.879 --> 00:01:36.620 lands, or even when you mess up a joke and admit 00:01:36.620 --> 00:01:41.180 to it, a funny memory retold, those moments connect 00:01:41.180 --> 00:01:45.060 people. And connection is medicine, too. I've 00:01:45.060 --> 00:01:49.099 worked with older adults when I was an OT who 00:01:49.099 --> 00:01:53.120 were quiet and withdrawn. until someone laughed 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:56.400 with them, and suddenly their eyes lit up, their 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:59.159 posture changed, and their voice sounded stronger. 00:01:59.780 --> 00:02:03.260 That shift is real. Laughter can release the 00:02:03.260 --> 00:02:06.719 tension that's been stored in the body. Tension 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:11.539 from stress, from worry, from grief, and no one 00:02:11.539 --> 00:02:15.689 needs a lecturer to laugh. It just happens. I 00:02:15.689 --> 00:02:18.409 think I've said before in this podcast my late 00:02:18.409 --> 00:02:22.990 husband was a PA worked in urgent care, but before 00:02:22.990 --> 00:02:27.830 that He was a psychologist with a clinical practice 00:02:27.830 --> 00:02:31.050 and he used to come home as a PA and would tell 00:02:31.050 --> 00:02:33.469 me that the majority of people weren't coming 00:02:33.469 --> 00:02:36.110 in to see him for their physical ailments. They 00:02:36.110 --> 00:02:39.310 were really coming in to see him for the stress 00:02:39.310 --> 00:02:41.909 that was in their bodies. He would point to his 00:02:41.909 --> 00:02:44.550 body and then point to his head and he would 00:02:44.550 --> 00:02:47.590 say all that stress, all that tension is affecting 00:02:47.590 --> 00:02:51.080 their physical body. And that's why anything 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:53.659 that you can do to release that stress intention 00:02:53.659 --> 00:02:57.000 is so healing, and that's why laughter is so 00:02:57.000 --> 00:03:00.639 healing. I've seen family caregivers come back 00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:05.020 to themselves through laughter. Caregiving, if 00:03:05.020 --> 00:03:07.900 you're doing it, you know that caregiving can 00:03:07.900 --> 00:03:12.259 feel very, very heavy, very serious, and always 00:03:12.259 --> 00:03:15.680 relentless. And somewhere along the way, the 00:03:15.680 --> 00:03:19.169 joy in your life gets put on hold. But laughter 00:03:19.169 --> 00:03:21.509 doesn't mean you're not taking things seriously. 00:03:21.650 --> 00:03:24.310 It just means that you're letting your body breathe. 00:03:24.469 --> 00:03:27.490 You're giving it permission to breathe. I've 00:03:27.490 --> 00:03:30.069 watched family caregivers laugh and then say, 00:03:30.469 --> 00:03:34.330 oh, I forgot how good that felt. That's medicine 00:03:34.330 --> 00:03:37.610 working. Another thing that I think people don't 00:03:37.610 --> 00:03:40.750 always realize is that laughter can lower your 00:03:40.750 --> 00:03:44.289 stress hormones. And when stress hormones drop, 00:03:44.509 --> 00:03:48.629 then your blood pressure can ease, and your muscle 00:03:48.629 --> 00:03:53.210 tension can also soften, and pain can feel much 00:03:53.210 --> 00:03:56.969 more manageable. I mean, it's not like taking 00:03:56.969 --> 00:04:00.289 a pain medicine and then you feel nothing. It 00:04:00.289 --> 00:04:05.129 just makes it so much less painful, so it's more 00:04:05.129 --> 00:04:08.669 manageable. I've seen and I've heard people say, 00:04:08.830 --> 00:04:11.810 I don't hurt as much when I laugh. Now that could 00:04:11.810 --> 00:04:16.439 mean emotionally, and or physically. And that's 00:04:16.439 --> 00:04:19.860 not their imagination. Your physical body truly 00:04:19.860 --> 00:04:24.680 does respond to laughter. And I think personally 00:04:24.680 --> 00:04:27.839 that laughter also creates a sense of safety. 00:04:28.540 --> 00:04:31.800 When people laugh together, their bodies tend 00:04:31.800 --> 00:04:35.500 to sink, their breathing slows down, their guard 00:04:35.500 --> 00:04:39.939 comes down. That sense of safety is deeply healing. 00:04:40.170 --> 00:04:42.949 especially for older adults who may feel anxious 00:04:42.949 --> 00:04:47.069 or uncertain. And sharing that joy doesn't have 00:04:47.069 --> 00:04:50.170 to be a big thing. It doesn't require comedy 00:04:50.170 --> 00:04:54.209 shows or big gatherings. It can be simple. A 00:04:54.209 --> 00:04:58.069 funny story, a silly pet, a light -hearted TV 00:04:58.069 --> 00:05:01.810 show, a funny YouTube video, a shared memory 00:05:01.810 --> 00:05:05.259 that still makes you smile. I've seen seniors 00:05:05.259 --> 00:05:08.480 laugh at the same joke every time. And guess 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:13.259 what? It still works. That body, the body, doesn't 00:05:13.259 --> 00:05:16.720 get bored of joy. It welcomes it. It needs it. 00:05:17.279 --> 00:05:19.199 Another beautiful thing about laughter is that 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:22.360 it brings people into the present moment. When 00:05:22.360 --> 00:05:25.350 you laugh, you're not replaying the past. You're 00:05:25.350 --> 00:05:28.250 not worrying about the future. You're right here 00:05:28.250 --> 00:05:31.970 and now. And that presence can be very calming. 00:05:32.670 --> 00:05:36.589 It gives the nervous system a rest which we all 00:05:36.589 --> 00:05:40.589 know our nervous systems need that rest. The 00:05:40.589 --> 00:05:45.189 rest can be so healing. Sharing that joy also 00:05:45.189 --> 00:05:49.269 reminds people that we're not alone. Loneliness 00:05:49.269 --> 00:05:53.350 is very hard on the heart. I experienced that 00:05:53.350 --> 00:05:57.430 after my late husband passed away. It can really 00:05:57.430 --> 00:06:01.910 break you. Hard, loneliness can be hard on the 00:06:01.910 --> 00:06:07.009 body. Laughter can help to bridge that gap. Even 00:06:07.009 --> 00:06:10.269 brief shared laughter creates connection and 00:06:10.269 --> 00:06:13.449 connection supports health. It doesn't matter 00:06:13.449 --> 00:06:17.189 if you're connecting with a person or a TV show 00:06:17.189 --> 00:06:22.470 or a movie or YouTube video. or a joke you just 00:06:22.470 --> 00:06:25.769 heard on Alexa, it doesn't matter. It's something 00:06:25.769 --> 00:06:29.129 that you're sharing with another entity. Of course, 00:06:29.230 --> 00:06:32.610 I would mix it all up so that you've got both 00:06:32.610 --> 00:06:36.329 human interactions and technological interactions, 00:06:36.550 --> 00:06:40.069 and that would be the best combination. I've 00:06:40.069 --> 00:06:42.930 seen even my own family members feel better. 00:06:43.209 --> 00:06:46.629 just knowing that someone shared a moment with 00:06:46.629 --> 00:06:49.689 them. And I do my very best to do that with people 00:06:49.689 --> 00:06:53.769 that I speak to every single day. Another thing 00:06:53.769 --> 00:06:56.250 that I love about laughter is that it invites 00:06:56.250 --> 00:06:59.509 movement. You know, a little rocking, a little 00:06:59.509 --> 00:07:03.250 relaxed posture, a deep breath, and if you're 00:07:03.250 --> 00:07:05.769 Sicilian or Italian like me, your hands tend 00:07:05.769 --> 00:07:08.910 to go everywhere, so that is definitely movement. 00:07:09.470 --> 00:07:12.529 Movement plus joy improves your circulation. 00:07:12.949 --> 00:07:15.670 And that supports your heart health. It's not 00:07:15.670 --> 00:07:21.129 exercise. It's ease. And ease matters. So here's 00:07:21.129 --> 00:07:23.410 something important that I also want to say. 00:07:23.850 --> 00:07:26.730 You don't have to wait until things are perfect 00:07:26.730 --> 00:07:31.529 to laugh. If you do, you might miss a lot of 00:07:31.529 --> 00:07:33.410 moments of laughter. You don't have to wait for 00:07:33.410 --> 00:07:37.069 the day to be great or the meal to be perfect 00:07:37.069 --> 00:07:40.189 or anything. It's especially helpful when you 00:07:40.189 --> 00:07:44.430 have a bad moment or day. Laughter can exist 00:07:44.430 --> 00:07:49.589 alongside your grief. Believe me, it can. Alongside 00:07:49.589 --> 00:07:53.100 your stress. and alongside uncertainty. It doesn't 00:07:53.100 --> 00:07:56.040 cancel hard things out. It just softens them. 00:07:56.600 --> 00:07:59.379 And sometimes that softness is what helps people 00:07:59.379 --> 00:08:05.819 keep going. Sharing joy is, in my opinion, an 00:08:05.819 --> 00:08:09.639 act of absolute generosity. When you laugh with 00:08:09.639 --> 00:08:12.980 someone, you're offering them relief as well 00:08:12.980 --> 00:08:16.740 as yourself. You're offering connection to them. 00:08:16.889 --> 00:08:20.129 and to yourself, and you're offering a little 00:08:20.129 --> 00:08:24.149 bit of humanity, which we all know the world 00:08:24.149 --> 00:08:27.149 definitely needs. And that offering goes both 00:08:27.149 --> 00:08:31.670 ways. So if today feels heavy, try finding one 00:08:31.670 --> 00:08:35.029 small moment of laughter, a smile, a chuckle, 00:08:35.389 --> 00:08:38.129 a shared moment. That's enough. That's enough 00:08:38.129 --> 00:08:40.549 to help you get through. You don't really need 00:08:40.549 --> 00:08:43.789 more than that, because laughter really, really 00:08:43.789 --> 00:08:48.059 is medicine. and sharing it multiplies the healing. 00:08:48.539 --> 00:08:52.879 So I would recommend to set up a weekly movie 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:57.399 day lunch, dinner, breakfast, whatever with a 00:08:57.399 --> 00:09:01.440 friend or a group and watch a favorite comedian 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:04.840 or share your comedians on YouTube or a funny 00:09:04.840 --> 00:09:09.019 show or joke or anything at all. You can call 00:09:09.019 --> 00:09:12.379 it the Laughter Club. Well, that's all that I 00:09:12.379 --> 00:09:15.470 have for you today. Thank you again for listening 00:09:15.470 --> 00:09:18.429 and being here with me. If today's episode gave 00:09:18.429 --> 00:09:21.250 you some useful insights or hey, any new ideas, 00:09:21.409 --> 00:09:23.490 then please share it with someone who you think 00:09:23.490 --> 00:09:26.590 might find it helpful as well. You can discover 00:09:26.590 --> 00:09:29.269 even more expert tips and helpful guides for 00:09:29.269 --> 00:09:31.629 seniors and caregivers at seniorsafetyadvice 00:09:31.629 --> 00:09:34.600 .com. And if you're searching for Aging in Place 00:09:34.600 --> 00:09:37.120 Specialists or Senior Care Services, then please 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:41.000 visit our website at aginginplacedirectory .com 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:44.019 and come back tomorrow for even more useful tips, 00:09:44.379 --> 00:09:47.220 insights, and ideas right here on the Senior 00:09:47.220 --> 00:09:50.620 Safety Advice Podcast. And hey, if you haven't 00:09:50.620 --> 00:09:53.100 yet subscribed to our YouTube channel or the 00:09:53.100 --> 00:09:56.000 podcast yet, please go ahead and do that right 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:59.190 now. Give us your reviews, your comments. All 00:09:59.190 --> 00:10:01.649 of that really helps us to reach more people 00:10:01.649 --> 00:10:04.250 who could use this kind of support and information. 00:10:05.009 --> 00:10:07.730 So until next time, take care of yourself and 00:10:07.730 --> 00:10:08.649 the ones that you love.