Watch as this very funny lady reminds us that laughter is the best medicine.
Did you know that laughter has an effect similar to antidepressants?
As a caregiver, laughter is a great resource to have in your toolbox. In fact, laughter can help keep things in perspective, diverting from stressful situations and helping to refocus the mind.
Laughing activates the release of the neurotransmitter serotonin, the same brain chemical affected by the most common types of antidepressants, SSRIs. It’s not clear from the research how long this effect sticks around, but the burst of brain activity laughing triggers is undoubtedly potent, at least for short periods of time.
There are other benefits as well including fostering brain connectivity and forming social bonds.
That might be why Mary Maxwell’s popular convention invocation has made the trek around the viral world. Maxwell, a friend of Home Instead Senior Care co-founders Paul and Lori Hogan, was asked to give the invocation at one of the company's conventions. Initially it seemed like a normal prayer, but it soon took a very funny turn. Her deadpan delivery and lines like . . .This is the first time I've ever been old . . . and it just sort of crept up on me . . . soon had the attendees rolling in the aisles. With the timing of a professional comedian, Mary shines a very funny light on the foibles of aging, to the delight of this audience of senior-care experts. Watch her here!
