Column

On Your Mind
The healthy, healing power of laughter
10/30/2009

By Drs. Norma and Steve Leclair

Recently I was reading an article about Abraham Lincoln and discovered this quote -- ''With all the fearful strain that is on me day and night, if I did not laugh I would die.'' I think it is fair to say that many people are feeling a great deal of strain given the many challenges we face on a daily basis. Lincoln's comments about laughter offer us a strand of wisdom about how to handle this strain. Seek out humor and engage in laughter on a regular basis.

Researchers have actually examined the effects that humor and laughter have on our health. The findings from these research activities demonstrate that laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain and physical distress. According to psychologist Paul E. McGhee, ''Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.''

What exactly are the benefits of laughter? Think about the last time you experienced a belly full of laughter. Your body responded by increasing your breath rate, which caused you to take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. In other words, you breathed in healing energy and exhaled old stale air. That hearty laugh provided your muscles and organs with an internal massage and helped you release stress and tension. A good deep laugh relaxes the whole body.

Laughter actually boosts the immune system by decreasing stress hormones and increasing immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies. People undergoing chemotherapy for cancer treatment are often encouraged to seek out humorous activities like watching a funny movie, reading humorous books or hanging out with funny people. I learned the value of play therapy while working as a nurse on a pediatric oncology unit. These children taught me that having fun in the playroom was a great way to forget about being a patient, at least for a little while. Their giggles were a welcome antidote to an emotionally painful situation.

Cardiologists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore discovered that laughter is linked to healthy function of blood vessels. Laughter caused the tissue that forms the inner lining of the blood vessels to dilate or expand allowing for greater blood flow through the veins and arteries. When the subjects in this study were shown a movie that produced mental stress, their blood vessel linings constricted, making it more difficult for the blood to flow through the same veins and arteries. Regular exposure to humor and a dose of laughter may be just the thing to strengthen your heart health.

As a mental health professional, I really appreciate the value of laughter to relieve anxiety and ease fear. Laughter helps you release distressing emotions and creates an opening to see things from a different perspective. Developing some psychological distance from an emotionally charged situation will help you refocus your attention on constructive ways to solve your dilemma. Several years ago while reading a book about creative problem solving, I was struck by a clever comment that said, ''Your AH-HA place in the brain is right next to your HA-HA place.'' While I do not recall the name of the book, I still remember this message. So get laughing the next time you have a problem to solve.

The best quality about laughter is that it is contagious, and it is a better experience than catching the flu. Recently, two friends came for a visit. We had not seen each other for over twenty years, but within the first five minutes we started laughing together and all those years apart dissolved. We had a wonderful week together, laughing our way around the coast of Maine and up Mt. Washington. After they left for Ohio, it occurred to me that I felt like a kid all week long. If you want to recharge your laughter battery, my advice is to spend time with family and friends who know how to laugh. Kids are a great source for play and just goofing around. When you hear laughter, join in and expand the mirth. Bring some humor into a gathering by asking if anyone had a funny experience this week.