Laughter is a remedy for the blues

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. I thought about what adage last week as I found myself listening for the most recent weather report and wishing I was going away from the heat. Was it going to be above 100 degrees again? It feels like mid-August and everybody I talked with dreaded the long hot summer days ahead. Well, surely, I thought there had to be a break in the cycle.

The break came with this quote on the front page of the Tribune-Herald: “It’s so hot…I saw the devil coming out of Circle K drinking a Big Gulp.”

That reminded me that laughter really is the cure for many of the plagues of life. Proven in almost every instance in the midst of almost every crisis, someone will see the funny side and put the problem in perspective.

The daily comics, syndicated columns, cartoons and commercials that make you laugh not only life your spirits for the day, but cause you to exercise. A good laugh works the abdominal muscles, effects the heart rate and muscle coordination. It may even hasten your recovery. Norman Cousins in his book, Anatomy of an Illness, told how he watched old movies and forgot his pain as he laughed at the comedians. Some researchers believe laughter releases endorphins, the brain’s own pain killer and that it helps to strengthen the immune system.

Most of us know that the person who has wit and humor, who brightens the day with remarks or stories that make us laugh, are people we like to have around. Although most of us would like to be that kind of person, we don’t’ all have the skills needed, but we can develop them.

• We need to realize that generally speaking we laugh because we are happy. And happiness is an attitude. We can all learn from children who can giggle and laugh, make silly faces and lose their inhibitions by laughing.

• Join in the fun. Not everyone can tell a funny story or a joke and get the punch line right, but you can joke with someone you work with. A little humor in day to day interactions will make you a more pleasant person to be around.

• Recognize what makes you laugh and make the most of it. If you like cartoons, search for them each day. If your idea of humor is Erma Bombeck, don’t let the day pass without reading her latest literary accomplishment. If you like jokes, collect them.

• When you get down on yourself, worrying about a past mistake and brooding about a failure, break the cycle of depression by seeing the mistake as an absurdity. Stretch your imagination and make it the most absurd possible. That’s when your humor will take over and you can work out of a bad situation. You can always poke fun at your own flaws, but remember that laughing at yourself is far different from laughing at someone else’s mistakes.

• Don’t think that you have to be serious all the time to maintain the respect of your colleagues. A little fun and laughter in the midst of coping with everyday problems is a way of breaking the tension.

Copyright c 1990 Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D.