Great post! I love the positivity!

I agree that laughter is great medicine!

Hubby likes to make me laugh which always makes me feel good. I also enjoy making hubby and others laugh.

Watching comedies is always good.

Guided Meditations make me feel good too. I am interested in meditation for healing and positivity :)

The 3 things that I highly recommend to help with the uptake of serotonin is jokes, laughter, and music that makes you feel good. They all help me a lot. Hugs to you. Gramybear

I've been trying to listen to more music lately. I take my phone with me as I do things around the house. I think it helps.

Here's an article that backs up your theory, you were spot on.

http://thrivelocity.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/gratitude-and-serotonin/

foods can give you that "feel good" feeling also. dark chocolate, corn, broccoli and others increase Serotonin levels. there are also foods that increase Dopamine levels, like cheeses, dairy products, fish, leafy greens..... lots of calming and feel good stuff.

Music! That's perfect! If we combine all we have learned..
We..
Willtranscend!!

Guys...are trying to rise above testosterone,
We...need them with us.

We CAN DO THIS!!!!!
Believe.

Love and hugs
And hugs and lugs.
What else do you need..it is yours.

AA often teaches to use gratitude lists...so I have done them...and thinking of what I am thankful for is always a good thing to remind me that I am happy not depressed....yep the D word...sorry I had to use it here....

Anyway I like my music too...I have satellite radio in car that also carry inside to unit that goes thru home stereo...so I have my contemporary jazz all the time...sometimes I switch back to my roots of classic rock and roll too...but mostly I like the jazzy stuff...

as for feeding my food addiction with things that make me feel better I guess diabetes has cut some of that out as I must be conscious of what it does to my blood sugars....but allways love the sugarless fudgecycles...and popcycles too...and no sugar added ice cream...some sugarless candy is there at times but it is so expensive compared to sugared candy....uggh

my pets and I know Jan Cam will agree add to my enhancement of this lifetime too....

Haha..
On reply #5..
I don't know what the Hell that means.
I just woke from a nap..
I think I wrote that reply in my sleep!!
( never experienced THAT before!

Anywaaay..my original post was awake :-) :-)

And..I do believe music is a great idea for what I was talking abut.

I'm grateful I can still work in my flower beds. I love watching the cats in the yard. It's times like that, that I fill with gratitude for having it so good.

I'm also the crazy old lady that cranks up the music and dances around the house cleaning up. Hey, at least I keep my clothes on when I do it! Stop to think about it, I haven't done that in a while.

Earlier today, I was watching Jack Hanna and David Letterman. OMG! So funny!

So, yeh, sometimes I have to make that lemonade out of lemons. I refuse to live in negativitiy. It gets me no where but miserable. Thanks for the topic jc.

Hugs, Dianna

I find that being positive does help with pain levels. When I used to drive in the deep south, I would hold the rest area doors open for old black ladies. They would look at me like I was crazy. I thought it would be a good thing to do to show that there are a lot of decent white people in this country. I also do it for any of the ladies who were coming out of the rest area building. I also give a dollar to the salvation army, and the veterans who are sitting out in front of the CVS pharmacy every time I go there to pick up my meds. It makes me forget about my own situation for a minute. A good funny movie can also help you get through a bad pain day. I have to confess that I used to be more positive before the pain bug bit. Now it takes a little bit of wok to be polite to people when I am hurting. Even if gratitude does not lower your pain level, it does make you a better person!

@ gr8tful2b: a fun little factoid i read the other day. reggae music is the perfect calming, relaxed pleasure inducing music. it plays at 60 beats per minute which mimics the beat of a calmly beating heart.

@ bp69..
Thanks for that link.....talk about validation! :-)

Pets and nature ( gardening) are good ones, too.

Random acts of kindness also. ( Jeremy)

Thanks for sharing some positives with me.

Hugs
jc

Thanks bp69 and welcome to the CP board. Lots of good people here!

The Big Bang Theory...if that show can't make anyone laugh, I'm not sure what will. I even got my fiance addicted to it. We watch DVR'd episodes together on the weekend and laugh our BUTTS off...Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper) is an awesome actor and plays that role amazingly.

Music...as long as I stay away from the sad music...that has the opposite effect. My daughter loves "pop" music...I'm more of a rock/heavy metal music kind of girl but admit these pop songs are catchy and I find myself bopping in the driver's seat...she, of course, likes to point out that I know the words...haha, brat...I really don't like it. ;)

My fiance and I are gun enthusiasts...nothing beats stress/negativity for me more than popping off a few rounds at the gun range.

And anything that helps me feel more "in control," also helps brighten my mood. Whether that be researching and learning or writing...

When I say my prayers, I remember to thank God for all I am grateful for...

~Michelle

A reason I try to help people smile here-even though some times people find it upsetting.

Only bad time that laughter is not he best medicine-I hear it makes a person with hurt ribs...hurt more :p

Now..for my song and dance routine...

hop,slide..shuffle...LA LA LAAAAAAAAAAAAA cough,choke

@ Michelle..
When my Mom visited once...there was a Big Bang marathon on. She's a fan and was watching a LOT of it. I started out saying I never understood the appeal of that show. By the time she left..I was laughing our loud constantly watching it.
The next time a marathon came on....I was watching a LOT of it...and my husband would shake his head and say..I just don't get it.
Now HE laughs out loud watching it.
It's like the Crack of comedy. :-) :-) :-)
Hugs
jc