Dr. Dipti Patel

One of the best feelings in the world is the deep-rooted belly laugh.

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. 

With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.

Why is laughter good for your health?

Reasons:

• Stress Buster: When one smiles, the movement of the facial muscles sends signals to the brain which in turn triggers the release of certain neurotransmitters called endorphins. These chemicals act as natural painkillers, make us feel happy and reduce our stress levels.
• Laughter boosts the immune system: Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
• Natural Exercise: Aside from the internal benefits of laughter, it can also be a natural way to exercise various muscle groups in your body. When you engage in laughter, whether it is a giggle or a guffaw, muscles are used to create that movement.The old adage that it “takes more muscles to frown than to smile” is somewhat true, unless you are laughing while smiling. Laughter engages the body’s diaphragm and abdominal muscle systems during that repetitive expanding and contracting that often happens when laughing for an extended period of time.This is why our sides or stomach hurt slightly after long bouts of laughter.
• Laughter protects the heart: Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
• Enhances Mood: Studies have shown that the simple act of laughing or smiling can improve the mood and happiness levels in subjects versus other activities. Laughter has been found to have an analgesic quality that reduces even unconscious pain, causing an improvement in mood.
• Laughter lightens anger’s heavy load: Nothing diffuses anger and conflict faster than a shared laugh. Looking at the funny side can put problems into perspective and enable you to move on from confrontations without holding onto bitterness or resentment, etc.  

Pregnancy loss could be devastating. Not only does it affect a woman mentally, but it also often takes a huge toll on her confidence. Post miscarriage trauma is a common phenomenon in this case. The range of emotion a woman might go through include denial, guilt, anger, depression envy and yearning. Although the process of grieving takes a lot of time, the first step towards post miscarriage trauma is to accept the inevitable and move on.

Here is a list of tips that will greatly help a woman to cope up with the loss:

1. Take time: While listening to friends and family seems to be the best course of action around this time, your loved ones need not get priorities at this time. If you believe that clearing your baby’s belongings is causing pain to you, take the time to prepare yourself. Clear away the stuff only when you are emotionally ready to do so.
2. Create memories: While a lot of people suggest to completely get rid of all the memories that are attached to the baby, it may not be a great thing to do. Studies have shown that creating a memory about your loss helps to heal faster. So go ahead and take a picture with your baby, plant a tree, take a footprint or christen the baby. Good memories attached to your baby will not haunt you about the loss.
3. Take care: Do not neglect your personal health and well-being. Eat well, take enough rest, quit smoking and drinking and seek pleasure in your loved one's company. The more you embrace life, better are your chances to get back to the grooves. Following an old hobby or working out one hour per day goes a long way in the process of healing.
4. Get your partner’s help: Being open about your emotions is a good thing to do. Express your feelings about the baby to your partner. The process of coping up can be entirely different from each other. What matters is to let each other’s feelings known. Your partner’s broad shoulder is your best bet to come out of your loss.
5. Set the expectations right: Women often get cranky and irritated after a miscarriage. Speak to your loved ones and let them know about your feelings. This will help you to get your loved ones support you and let you heal quickly from your loss.
6. Support group: It is very comforting to share your feelings with people who have already experienced the kind of loss you have faced. Sharing in person can reduce your pain a great deal. A spiritual healer or a professional psychiatrist can also play a crucial role in your recovery.