Watch a Funny Movie
Watching a comedy is a simple stress reliever that works almost every time. I would suggest that you watch a movie that you know will make you laugh.
The Stress Management and Health Benefits of Laughter, an article from About.com, explains why watching a funny movie will help reduce your stress.
Hormones: Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine, adrenaline, dopamine and growth hormone. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.
Physical Release: Have you ever felt like you “have to laugh or I’ll cry”? Have you experienced the cleansed feeling after a good laugh? Laughter provides a physical and emotional release.
Click here to check out the rest of the great reasons to induce laughter to relieve your stress.
Laughing is a great tool to minimize any lasting stress that you can’t release. So when you have that feeling that you need to escape from your life, try watching a movie that you know will give you 90 minutes of bliss. After it’s over, watch how you are feeling. You’ll probably notice that you feel a little lighter and this gives you a chance to turn your stressed out feelings into something positive.
You should also take the post-movie time to improve your perspective. I’ve lifted my mood many times only to let my thoughts spiral back into circles of worry. You can sit down and call a friend to talk through your emotions. Try to find a positive perspective, so these stressful emotions don’t stay with you. If someone isn’t available then sit and relax with your feelings. Write out what you can learn from the situation and how it can be applied to your life. It’s a smart option to reduce your stress and figure out a plan to keep it at a manageable level.
My top five favorite stress relievers are:
5. Dumb and Dumber with Jim Carrey (Almost every scene makes me smile.)
4. Sponge Bob Square Pants Movie (I know I’m a dork, but the David Hasselhoff scene was hilarious.)
3. I am Sam (I know it’s not a comedy, but I think Sean Penn’s acting is amazing. I always laugh at the scene when he’s running with his daughter’s birthday cake. He trips and falls, splattering the cake all over the floor. Classic comedy.)
2. Breakfast Club (It reminds me of hanging out with my brother. I know. I know. I’m getting old.)
1. South Park (Round headed cartoon characters singing with Satan releases all the stress that was wanting to explode.)
What’s your favorite stress relief movie?
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Karl @ December 3, 2007