It is reported by one of the leading experts on health and laughter, William Fry, M.D. that adults have simply forgotten how to laugh. He reports that a child in kindergarten laughs approximately 300 times where as an adult barely reaches 17 laughs on a good day. Sure, there is much more stress, we are uptight and we have a lot more responsibility but maybe there is something to learn from these kindergartners. We need to laugh a lot more!
William James (1842 – 1910), who many consider the Father of American positive psychology once said, “We don’t laugh because we’re happy, we are happy because we laugh.” We have also heard it said that laughter is the best medicine. In 1976 The New England Journal of Medicine published an article by Norman Cousins which a few years later became the first chapter in his 1979 book Anatomy of an Illness. In this book Cousins explains how he found relief from an acute inflammation of the spine known as Bechterew Disease. Cousin’s case was so severe his situation was declared hopeless and was given only months to live.
Cousins, knowing that negative thoughts and attitudes can result in illness; he reasoned that positive thoughts and attitudes may have the opposite effect. With this in mind he checked himself out of the hospital and went to a hotel where he consumed vitamin C and watched humorous movies and TV shows including ‘Candid Camera’ and the Marx Brothers. In just a few days he found that ten minutes of boisterous laughter resulted in at least two hours of pain-free sleep. He continued his routine until he recovered.
Today, laughter is considered therapy and you can join and participate in AATH – American Association of Therapeutic Humor, join a laughter club and even become a laughter leader. Either way, if you can learn to laugh and make is a daily practice you will increase your positive emotions, improve your immune system, and relieve stress and pain.
Here are ten benefits to laughter:
1. Laughing at yourself dis-empowers those who would make fun of you and it disarms possible confrontations.
2. Laughter dissolves stress, tension, anxiety, irritation, anger, grief and depression.
3. Laughter boosts the immune system.
4. Laugher reduces pain by releasing endorphins that are more potent than morphine in certain doses.
5. Humor helps integrate both hemispheres of the brain.
6. People with a sense of humor are more productive, communicate better and are considered a better ‘team player.’
7. Laughter and humor attract others. You will have more friends.
8. Laughter helps you cope with adversity and failure.
9. Laughter, robust laughter is equivalent to a small amount of exercise and actually burns calories.
10. Laughter increases your energy.
If laughter is good for kindergartners then it is good for us. Find at least one thing to laugh at today. If, nothing comes to you then try this: go to a semi-private space and stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Raise your hands in the air and reach as high as you can. Now, start to bend at the waist keep your arms straight and as you do so, say out loud “ha, ha, ha, ha” – repeating it as you bend. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
I know this seems like a silly thing to do. But if you can get over the silliness and do this at least once a day for 7 days you will be amazed at the positive emotions it will create.
Another quite practical thing you can do is to find something to laugh at. For today, look at this video – it will make you laugh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk
You can re-learn to laugh!