LAUGHING YOUR WAY TO HEALTH & HAPPINESS

By Mel Watkins

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Smile and the whole world smiles with you, the old adage goes. And like most of those timeless, old sayings, it offers an insight that you can take to the bank. In fact, take the idea one step further, and you're really onto something. Laughter is even more beneficial than just smiling. Ever notice that the happiest people you know always seem to be laughing at something? Heartily expressing their appreciation and joy over some small incident that you may have missed or simple ignored? They even seem to get a kick out of laughing at themselves! Some grumpy people who are healthy and truly happy beneath the surface may disagree, but according to most therapists, it's no accident: People who laugh a lot are generally happier and, most often, healthier than their sourpuss counterparts.

Now you may think, "Sure, easy for them to laugh--they're happy and obviously have no problems." But wait, what if the reverse were true. What if they were happy and healthier because they laugh so much?

That's a conclusion that many therapists and scientists have reached.

The idea that humor had health benefits was mentioned as early as the Book or Proverbs in the Bible, and in the 18th century Voltaire wrote, "The art of medicine consists of keeping the patient amused while nature heals the disease." During the 1960s, the writer and critic Norman Cousins helped bring the healing power of humor back into public consciousness. Cousins was suffering from a non-treatable, crippling form of arthritis. Aware of the power of negative emotions in inducing illness, he decided to investigate whether positive emotions could do the reverse. He began watching funny movies in his hospital room and looked for any opportunity that made him laugh. Within six months, he had recovered from the disease.

Around the same time, a "maverick West Virginia pediatrician," Hunter "Patch" Adams began wearing a clown outfit while making hospital rounds. "Joy is more important than any other drug," he claimed. His success with patients convinced many hospitals to bring trained humorists onto their staffs. Scientists and researchers also began seriously exploring the use of laughter and good spirits as therapy.

Research presented by the American College of Cardiology, for instance, found that the positive effects of laughing last for about 45 minutes and increases blood flow by 20% and stress decreased by 35%. Ninety-five percent of the volunteers had better blood flow after watching a comedy clip and 70% had worse blood flow after watching a stressful film sequence.

Researchers at Loma Linda University in California are examining the effects of laughter on the immune system and have detected significant decreases of the stress hormones, cortisol and adrenalin (which can corrupt the immune system), when subjects watch funny videos. They also found that laughter raises levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called gamma-interferon, and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies, and therefore enhance the immune system.

Other research confirmed that a good hearty laugh can help:

• Lower blood pressure
• Elevate mood
• Improve brain functioning
• Protect the heart
• Connect you to others
• Allow us to ignore pain
• Foster instant relaxation
• Make you feel good

Nowadays, the benefits of laughter are acknowledged by nearly all medical organizations. Some hospitals have established "humor therapy programs" that include "Comedy Carts" with props to amuse patients and "Caring Clowns" are a part of many hospital staffs.

"Laughter Clubs" are springing up in many areas, and, according to the head of Dr. Kataria's School of Laughter Yoga, more and more people are joining. Among the possible benefits are improved aerobics (according to Dr. William Fry of Stanford University, "one minute of laughter is equal to 10 minutes on the rowing machine"), relief for bronchitis and asthma suffers, improved stamina in athletes and increased lung capacity for singers and actors, and, since laughter increases the flow of blood and nourishes facial skin, a younger, fresher look.

A Psychology Today article entitled "The Benefits of Laughter" argues that humor promotes better marriages and relationships, and even urges couples to use tickling as an aid for more harmonious relations.

The bottom, line is that sound of laughter is far more contagious than any cough or sneeze. Humor and laughter can cause a domino effect of joy and amusement, as well as set off a number of positive effects. It is essential to mental health for a variety of reasons:

• It enhances our ability to affiliate or connect with others.
• It helps us replace distressing emotions with pleasurable feelings. You cannot feel angry, depressed, anxious, guilty, or resentful and experience humor at the same time.
• It changes behavior. When we experience humor we talk more, make more eye contact with others, touch others, etc.
• It increases energy, and with increased energy we may perform activities that we might otherwise avoid.
• Lacking humor will cause one's thought processes to stagnate leading to increased distress.
• Finally, humor is good for mental health because it makes us feel good!

Developing a good sense of humor, according to some medical specialists, is as important as exercise and a balanced diet. Here are some tips that might help you fine tune your mirth level.

• Observe infants and young children to learn how to find delight and amusement in the most ordinary things.
• Increase you exposure to comedies, comic sitcoms, joke books, comedy clubs, etc.
• Hang around funny friends, or better yet, marry a funny partner.
• Take a 5-10 minute humor break each day. Read jokes, add to humor notebook, listen to a funny tape.
• If you hear a joke you really like, write it down, or tell it to someone else to help you remember it.
• Remind yourself to have fun.
• Spend time with those who help you see the bright side, and, whenever possible, avoid people who are negative and dour.

• Avoid conversation, news, entertainment, etc., that frightens, upsets and distresses you or makes you feel sad and unhappy.

Mel Watkins is the author of Stepin Fetchit: the Life and Times of Lincoln Perry and On the Real Side: The History of African American Humor.

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