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The Connection between Laughter, Humor, and Good Health

Your body cannot heal without play.Your mind cannot heal without laughter.Your soul cannot heal without joy.

-- Catherine Rippenger Fenwick

HSW-CAW.807

Facts and FiguresLaughter is the biological reaction

of humans to moments or occasions ofhumor. It is an outward expression ofamusement.

Onaverage,achildlaughs300timesa day while an adult laughs only 17times a day.

Themajorityofmenreportthattheirlaughterisachuckle,andthemajorityof women report that theirs is agiggle.

Adultsbetweentheagesof18and34report laughing the most.

Mostlaughterdoesnotcomefromlisteningtojokes;itcomesfromspending time with family and friends.

Peopletendtolaughmorewheningroups.Peopleshouldsurroundthemselveswithotherswholaugh,because laughter is contagious.

Smilingisamild,silentformoflaughing.

Babiesstarttolaughataboutfourmonths of age.

Other Interesting Laughter InformationStudiesfromaroundtheworldhave

shown that an atmosphere of humorresultsinbetterpatientcure,lessanesthesiatime,lessoperatingtime,and shorter hospital stays.

Laughterisnotconnedtohumans.o Chimpanzees show laughter-like

behaviorinresponsetophysicalcontact,suchaswrestling,chasing,

ortickling;andratpupsemitshort,high-frequency,ultrasonicvocalizationduringrough-and-tumble play and when tickled.

o Rat pups laugh far more thanolder rats.

Laughtercanalsomakeyoumoreattractivetoyourfriends,lovedones,and the opposite sex.

JohnMorreall,editorofbothHumor:International Journal of HumorResearchandThe InternationalJournal for Humor and Health,theorizes that human laughtermayhelpinhibittheghtorightresponse,makinglaughterabehavioralsignoftrustinonescompanions.

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Laughtersoundsthesameacrosscultures,leadingsomeresearcherstobelievethatlaughterhelpedbondourancestorstogether.Infact,thesoundof laughter is so common and familiarthat it can be recognized if playedbackwards on tape.

Laughingburnscalories.Infact,laughingfor10minuteseachdaycanburn the same number of calories as ahalf-hour workout.

Laughtercanbeinfectious.Itcanmake others smile and feel happier. Weare more likely to remember and wantto be around the people who cheer usup and make us laugh.

The Health Benets of

Humor and Laughter Manypeoplendthatmaintaininga sense of humor is useful for a goodqualityoflife.Oursenseofhumorgivesustheabilitytonddelight,experiencejoy,andreleasetension.Additionally,laughteractivatesthechemistryofthewilltoliveandincreasesourcapacitytoghtdisease,whichmakesitaneffectiveself-care tool. In1979,NormanCousins,MDwrote

Anatomy of Illness, which brought thesubjectofhumortherapytotheattentionofthemedicalcommunity.Inhisbook,Dr.Cousinsdetailshowheusedlaughterto help ease his pain while undergoingtreatment for an incurable and extremelypainfulinammationofhisbodystissues.Asaresult,scienticevidenceontheeffectivenessofhumoranditshealthbenetsisnowoverwhelming.The

following are some of the researchedbenetsoflaughter.

Blood Pressure Peoplewholaughheartily,onaregularbasis,havealower standing blood pressure thandoestheaverageperson.Whenpeoplehaveagoodlaugh,initiallythebloodpressureincreases,butthenitdecreasestolevelsbelownormal.

Hormones Laughter reduces at leafour of the neuro-endocrine hormoneassociatedwithstress.Theseareepinephrine,cortisol,dopamine,andgrowth hormone.

Immune System Clinical studiesbyLeeBerkatLomaLindaUniversityhaveshownthatlaughterstrengthenthe immune system by increasinginfection-ghtingantibodies.

Muscle Relaxation Bellylaughsresult in muscle relaxation. Whileyoulaugh,themusclesthatdonotparticipate in the belly laugh relax.Afteryounishlaughing,thosemusclesinvolvedinthelaughterstarttorelax.Therefore,theactiontakesplace in two stages.

Pain Reduction Laughter allows a

person to forget about pains such athoseassociatedwithaches,arthritisetc.In1987,TexasTechpsychologistRosemary Cogan used the discomfortof a pressure cuff to test themedicalbenetsoflaughteronpainmanagement.Subjectswhowatcheda20-minuteLilyTomlinroutinecouldtolerate a tighter cuff than those whohad watched an informational tape orno tape at all.

Brain Function Laughter stimulateboth sides of the brain to enhancelearning. It eases muscle tension andpsychologicalstress,whichkeepsthebrain alert and allows people to retainmore information.

Respiration Frequentbellylaughterempties your lungs of more air than ittakesin,resultinginacleansingeffectsimilartodeep-breathing.Thisdeep

breathing sends more oxygen-enrichedblood and nutrients throughout the bodThe HeartLaughter,alongwith

anactivesenseofhumor,mayhelpprotectyouagainstaheartattack,accordingtoastudyattheUniversityofMarylandMedicalCenter.Thestudy,whichisthersttoindicatethatlaughtermayhelppreventheartdisease,foundthatpeoplewithheart

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diseasewere40percentlesslikelytolaughinavarietyofsituationscompared to people of the same agewithout heart disease.

A Good Workout Laughter istheequivalenttointernaljogging.AccordingtoWilliamFry,MD,ProfessorofPsychiatryatStanfordUniversity,oneminuteoflaughterisequaltoten minutes on the rowing machine.Laughtercanprovidegoodcardiac,abdominal,facial,andbackmuscleconditioning,especiallyforthosewho are unable to perform physicalexercise.

Mental and Emotional Health Humor and laughter are a powerfulemotional medicine that can lowerstress,dissolveanger,andunitepeople

introubledtimes.Moodiselevatedbystrivingtondhumorindifcultand frustrating situations. Laughingatourselves,andthesituationwearein,willhelprevealthatsmallthingsarenottheearth-shakingeventstheysometimes seem to be. Looking at aproblemfromadifferentperspectivecan make it seem less formidableforgreaterobjectivityandinsight.Humoralsohelpsusavoidloneliness

by connecting with others who areattracted to genuine cheerfulness.

Other Benefts - Laughter andhumorconnectustootherpeople,fosterrelationships,rejuvenateandregenerateourenergy,andmakeusfeel good!

How You Can ExpandYour Sense of HumorLookfortheeverydayhumor.Start

looking for the absurd and sillyactivitiesthatgoonaroundyoueachday.

Observeinfantsandyoungchildrentolearnhowtonddelightandamusement in the most ordinary

things.Increaseyourexposuretocomedies,

comicsitcoms,jokebooks,comedyclubs,etc.

Hangaroundfunnyfriends.Takea5to10minutehumorbreak

eachday.Readjokes,addtoahumonotebook,andlistentofunnytapes.

Ifyouhearajokeyoureallylike,writit down or tell it to someone else tohelp you remember it.

Remindyourselftohavefun.Spendtimewiththosewhohelpyou

seethebrightside.Wheneverpossibavoidnegativepeople.

Avoidconversations,news,entertainment,etc.,thatfrightens,upsetsordistressesyou,ormakesyofeel sad and unhappy.

Bemindfulofjustlighteningup.

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Links to Laughter

Jokes to Make You Laugh!http://www.helpguide.org/life/jokes.htm

Humor Survey: How Well Does Your Sense of Humor Protect You from Heart Disease? frothe University of Marylandhttp://www.umm.edu/news/releases/humor_survey.html

Playing Together for Fun: Creative Play and Lifelong Gameshttp://www.helpguide.org/life/creative_play_fun_games.htm

SourcesAggarwal,K.K.ADoseofLaughterKeepsYourHeartYoung! http://www.dayafterindia.com/june104/societyhealth.htmlBerk,Lee,etal"NeuroendocrineandStressHormoneChangesDuringMirthfulLaughter"AmericanJournaloftheMedicalSciences,vol.298no.6,1989.Cogan,Rosemary.(1987).EffectsofLaughterandRelaxationonDiscomfortThresholds. JournalofBehavioralMedicine.10:139-144.Cousins,Norman.(1979).AnatomyofanIllness.NewYork:Norton.Fried,Itzhak,Wilson,CharlesL.,MacDonald,KatherineA.,&Behnke,EricJ.(12February

1998). ElectricCurrentStimulatesLaughter.Nature,391,650.NewYork:NewYork.Fry,William.(1979).MirthandtheHumanCardiovascularSystem. TheStudyofHumor.LosAngeles,CA:AntiochUniversityPress.Jancin,Bruce.(15March2001).LaughterBenetsHeartHealth,ImmuneSystem. FamilyPracticeNews.Morristown:NewJersey.LaughterisGoodforYourHeart,AccordingtoaNewUniversityofMarylandMedicalCenteStudy.(2004). UniversityofMarylandMedicalCenter(UMMC).Accessed:10March2006.

http://www.umm.edu/news/releases/laughter.htmlLaugh!ItsHealthy.CaliforniaStateRuralHealthAdvocates.

http://www.csrha.org/advocate/1.7/laughterLaughterResearchConductedatLLUMC.(11March1999). LomaLindaUniversitySchoolofMedicine.

http://www.llu.edu/news/today/mar99/sm.htmStudyConrmsBeliefthatLaughteristheBestMedicine.(August2004). AORNJournal.Denver:Colorado.

Carol Whipple, MSExtension Specialist for Social WorkHEEL Program

Susan Calvert, BAHEEL Intern

May2008

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