Laughter is good medicine

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We all need laughter in our life and people with chronic illness know this well. Apparently there is science to back up the old adage that Laughter is the best medicine. Laughing causes a contraction of muscles which increases our oxygen and blood flow which stimulates our organs and releases endorphins which make you feel more relaxed.

Laughter activates the body's natural relaxation response. It's like internal jogging, providing a good massage to all internal organs while toning abdominal muscles. Dr Sethi, head of cardiothoracic surgery at Tucson Medical Center.

I just know that a laugh or a simple smile can make me feel better and give me what I need to continue on coping. Here are some of the "funnies" that relate to Fibromyalgia shared at #FunnyFibro over the weeks on twitter. I hope they make you smile.

Fibro stories galore

Please join in at Fibro Friday week 90! and share your own story.

Lets celebrate our achievements, no matter how small they are at Fibro Friday this week

Lets celebrate our achievements, no matter how small they are or what they are. Fighting Fibro is hard work and often we may feel guilt or worry about how little we contribute to the world around us. Well this week is about celebrating your small successes and feeling good about yourself. Did you get yourself a healthy snack? Did you ring and talk to a lonely relative? Did you get outside for a stroll up the street?
This week I attended my pain clinic program which is a group of people living in pain. Interestingly enough I went in feeling tired and bad about the extraordinarily difficult week I'd had and left feeling wonderful! (To think I had nearly talked myself out of going.)

When we were asked to say if we had achieved our own previously set small goals I was beating myself up for not walking for 15 minutes twice that week or sitting in the sun. I explained that life had gotten in the way and I had only done incidental walking at the shops but was trying to stand up and move around every half an hour. The team leader smiled and praised my achievements and made me feel wonderful and everyone else nodded in agreement. It was strange to feel a feeling of pride in myself that I had actually done something and also was learning to change my habits. I felt great about my very small achievements and hope you can feel this too by celebrating whatever things you have managed to do this week.