Rx: Laughter
By the staff of Heartland Human Services
Did you know adults laugh only an average of 15 times per day while children laugh up to 400 times daily? In addition to making life less colorful, being overly serious can be a detriment to our health. According to Steven Sultanoff, Ph.D, president of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor, "Humor's greatest benefits are in use to reduce emotional and physical distress." In addition to this, laughter stimulates the nervous and cardiovascular systems and increases endorphins that act to block pain. Laughter improves circulation and digestion as well.
At the Simonton Cancer Center, Dr. Carl Simonton describes one hour of "play" per day. Patients make lists of 40 enjoyable activities half of which cost less than five dollars. The doctor also recommends making some purchases at a toy store and starting out with something like a brightly colored Koosh ball that can be used for many activities. Another suggestion is to keep a humor diary of happenings, jokes, cartoons, etc. that you find funny. When you are feeling down, a quick trip to your diary may be just what the doctor ordered.