Social ties help us cope with stress, which in turn boosts our body s ability to fight off infections. Laugh a lot. Go to a comedy club or rent a comedy flick. The positive emotions associated with laughter decrease stress hormones and increase certain immune cells and activate others. Name that tune.
Music helps our bodies fend off diseases by heightening relaxation and lessening pain responses.
Studies have also shown that people undergoing music therapy had significant increases of immunoglobulin A, which are antibodies in saliva that defend against infection and cancer. Write it down. Telling all in a personal journal helps keep germs at bay. A study at the University of Texas, found that people who wrote about traumatic events for 20 minutes a day three to five times a week had about half as many doctor visits as people who didn t write. And their antibody response to bacteria and viruses was more vigorous.