EVERY day before he leaves for work, and again before he goes to sleep, my husband gives himself a 30- to 60-minute dose of laughter.
Without fail, he looks at some comedy program or cartoon. He laughs himself silly on his way off to work and, at night, falls blissfully asleep with a smile on his face. Intuitively, he knows what the experts have confirmed: Laughter is healing.
Years ago, I remember reading the astonishing works of Norman Cousins, the late editor of the Saturday Review and best-selling author of "Anatomy of an Illness." In "Anatomy," he showed how conventional medicine and his own laugh therapy helped cure his ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by crippling arthritis and severe pain.
Cousins amazed his doctors with a miraculous recovery in just eight days. Every day, he watched humorous shows such as "Candid Camera," or comedic performers such as the Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers. Doctors had given him little hope for recovery, but with the healing power of laughter, Cousins won not only the battle but the war as well.
Healing power of humor
Recent studies have proven that laughter is one of the healthiest things you can do!
In their best-selling book, "The Okinawa Program," based on an ongoing study of elderly people on the Japanese island of Okinawa, Dr. Bradley J. Wilcox, Dr. Craig Wilcox, and Dr. Makoto Suzuki wrote that "during laughter, muscles throughout your body tense and relax in a way that is strikingly similar to stress-reduction techniques. Laughter keeps muscles supple as well as relaxed. It also has been shown to stimulate the immune system."
More evidence
Dr. Lee Berk and Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have been researching the effects of laughter on the immune system, too.
According to their research, laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, boosts immune function, activates the release of endorphins (the body's natural painkillers) and generates an overall sense of well-being.
On the other hand, people with heart disease were about 40 percent less likely to laugh and had more frequent feelings of anger and hostility, according to data collected by Dr. Michael Miller, of the University of Maryland Medical Center. He presented his findings in March during an American College of Cardiology conference in Orlando, Fla.
Quoted on the UMMC Web site, Miller said that laughing may have a beneficial effect on the lining of the blood vessels, called the endothelium, the body's "first line" of defense against vascular disease.
"It is conceivable that laughing may be important to maintain a healthy endothelium, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease," Miller wrote. "At the very least, laughter offsets the impact of mental stress, which is harmful to the endothelium."
Best things in life are free
Can you think of a better prescription-free way to boost your spirits and improve your health?
It may sound silly, but in the long run you may laugh and smile your way into wellness. Like Norman Cousins, you might be able to help heal yourself of some debilitating condition, or better yet, prevent it altogether.
It's worth repeating: Laughter helps the body stay disease-free and fight colds and the flu, and it is beneficial to the cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, central nervous and endocrine systems.
Don't worry, be happy!
The '90s silly sleeper hit, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin, was definitely on to something:
Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy now
The long and short of it is, yes, we will all be faced with life's challenges. But it's not what happens to us - it's how we react to what happens to us. At the minimum, try to maintain a good sense of humor. Let's smile and laugh our way through life.
Go ahead and smile, laugh, dance naked, make a silly face, see a comedy or learn to tell jokes. Do what you have to do, but do it with a smile on your face!
If you are ill, maintain a positive outlook and a sense of humor, which will help keep your body open to healing. If you are in good health, maintain your health and reduce stress with a daily dose of laughter and good cheer. *
Comments (1)
Together with great doctors, laughter got me thru two bouts with lung cancer - one in December 1987 and a second time (different lung) in July 1989.
Since then - I have been quoted many times as saying...
Along with good doctors, laughter saved my life!!!
GLADYS COOPER
Posted by Coop Sr. | August 17, 2005 6:58 AM
Posted on August 17, 2005 06:58