A Laughing Matter

So you've probably heard the saying, Laughter is the best medicine, at some point in your life when you were feeling you had nothing to laugh about, but a recent study has found that although laughter may not be a drug, it can help with improving short term memory in older adults (like me). I am not a car key misplacer but my cell phone is an entirely different matter. Since I got rid of my land line I can’t call myself to find it either, so I usually end up backtracking my day until I do. Often times I find it in the bathroom even though I try not to take calls while on the potty since the sound of flushing (and possibly other bodily function related noises) are something I’d rather not have to explain during my conversations with friends and relatives. I stopped charging my phone in the bathroom for this very reason too, so how does it always end up there? And an even better question might be why do I find myself obsessing about my phone? I don’t have answers for those last two questions but… there are lots of videos and cartoons on line that make me smile and sometimes even laugh out loud and according to a recent study this is good for relieving stress and improving short term memory. The study participants didn’t have to find my cell phone however. They performed memory tests and had their saliva sampled for stress hormones. The difference between the control group (no funny videos to laugh about) and the group that watched funny videos was no laughing matter. The laughing group scored better on short-term memory tests and their salivary levels of the stress hormone cortisol -- a memory enemy of sorts -- were significantly decreased. So there you have it. And as soon as I find my phone I’m going watch some funny videos on it!