The Importance of Laughter

GO AHEAD, LAUGH IT UP!

A hearty cackle, some girlish giggles or even a rambunctious roar can quickly lift your mood, and more positive thinking reduces the stress that can wreak such havoc on our physical and mental health. But most adults laugh so much less than kids. One recent study found that healthy children laugh as much as 400 times each day, while adults only laugh about 15 times a day.

So, how can you up your laugh quotient? Try these tips to find the funny:

• Watch a funny movie or TV show.
• They’re not just for kids, so read the funny pages.
• Seek out funny people.
• Play with a pet.
• Go to a “laughter yoga” class.
• Goof around with your children.
• Make time for fun activities (e.g., bowling, miniature golf, karaoke).

DON'T FORGET TO LAUGH TODAY

Of all the quirks that come with being a human being, laughter has to be one of the most interesting. Have you ever met anyone who just really doesn’t care to laugh? How many times have you watched someone break into a full-blown laughing fit and found yourself joining them without even knowing what it was you were both laughing about? Laughter travels faster than any infectious germ. But instead of making us ill, it actually heals us. It can break the ice between strangers, ease bad feelings between friends and family, and even trigger healthy physical changes in our bodies. Psychologist and humor research pioneer, Dr. Paul E. McGhee has said, “Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.”

But what if you don’t feel like laughing? What if you have just received the horrible news from your doctor that you or a loved one is battling a disease? Experts say that this is the time you most need to keep your sense of humor in good working order.

FAKE IT 'TIL YOU MAKE IT!  And several medical studies have proven that even an insincere smile or forced laugh can still provide benefits.

Dr. Bob Avery, an oncologist with the Montgomery Cancer Center and author of “Medicine Free: How Food IS Your Medicine” (Amazon.com), advises his patients to participate more in activities that help relieve stress. “Stress is very bad for you,” he said. “It causes increased levels of corticosteroid hormones, which in turn has many negative health effects. There is almost no organ system that is not negatively affected by chronic stress. But there are many ways to treat it, and humor is one of the best. Experiencing something funny and laughing will not only relieve stress and decrease stress hormones; it will also increase the levels of pain fighting and pleasure hormones in your brain.” Avery highly recommends humor therapy as an effective way to relieve stress and alleviate pain.

Avery has witnessed, first hand, the effects that humor and laughter have had on his patients over the years. “I had a patient who was 92 years old and had metastatic prostate cancer,” he said. “When diagnosed, a physician told him that he only had six months to live. As I worked with him and his family, talking and laughing were always a part of our interactions. They always felt better after leaving the office, which is funny to think that someone would feel better after leaving their oncologist and receiving chemotherapy.” Avery’s patient went into remission. “I think the humor and the positive outlook helped to keep him alive longer than expected,” said Avery.