Mirth as Medicine: Laugh It Up!
Cynics, scholars, comedians, candidates, reporters, writers,
philosophers and just about everyone else from Plato to Groucho has
used humor at one time or another.
Every wit, wag, pundit, punster and one-liner champion has
tried his hand at humor.
Humor is being applied in business to reduce stress
and prevent burnout. More
and more, successful companies are discovering the value of using
humor in all aspects of business to make achieving their goals fun.
It has been used for marketing, team building and improving
customer relations and employers have used it to promote collegiality
in the workplace. Why is
humor used in staff meetings, newsletters, sales meetings, board
meetings, memos, bulletin boards, waiting rooms, break rooms and even
bathrooms?
The average adult laughs 17 times a day and although
this may seem to be a second nature type of response, it is actually a
complex “learned” response that involves many of the same skills
used in solving problems. Careful
measurements of the electrical activity within the brain have shown a
similarity between the two processes.
The positive psychological and emotional effects of
humor are now being recognized by health professionals.
Humor is a powerful technique for eliminating unhealthy
feelings. Everyone has
experienced the pleasurable feeling and lightness that follows deep
belly laughter. When we
experience the emotional effects of deep laughter, anxiety, depression
and anger are transiently reduced or eliminated.
Some have described laughter as “jogging of the
internal organs”. Many
patients suffering from debilitating, painful disease have attested to
the relief that they get from several minutes of deep belly laughter. So, if you are a health professional, use humor liberally as
it is inexpensive, relatively risk-free and it may even serve as a
coping tool for you in some uncomfortable situations.
If you are a patient or family member and you could use a bit
of relief, be receptive.
Choose to
laugh.
Hardness yields to laughter, and
irritation and resentment slip away.
Relaxation ensues
and focuses attention.
Improved attention
expands awareness.
Awareness promotes insight.
Insight improves understanding.
Understanding invites peace.
Peace brings happiness.
Happiness is a choice—
and
a virtue too. |
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