Roan, S. (1995, October). And what makes you think life isn’t a laughing matter: Health experts say we need to have more fun in our daily lives-especially at work. The Los Angeles Times, pp. E1, 6.

OVERVIEW

Youth leaders rely on humor; they know it is a huge part of teenage life and that communication with young people does not go well without a sprinkling of laughter.

Studies have shown children to laugh or giggle an average of 50 times a day, adults 15 times a day. The average for teenagers is probably somewhere in the middle.

In 1979, Norman Cousins publicly sharing his discovery of the therapeutic effects of laughter in recovering from his serious illness. In The Anatomy of an Illness, Cousins showed people how to "laugh through the pain" and called laughter "internal jogging."

In the 1980s, laughter and fun became a part of holistic therapy. Annette Goodheart, a Santa Barbara psychotherapist, has written about laughter therapy. She describes the physiological effects of laughing:

There is a massive chemical shift going on. When you laugh, your cardiovascular system gets a workout. You take in massive quantities of air. Your heart rate and blood pressure go up at first then settle down at a rate lower than before you began laughing. Even the anticipation of laughing shifts your body’s chemistry.

At emotional and social levels humor promotes further gains, according to Goodheart:

Through laughter, we are connecting with ourselves, our environment and each other. That’s why it’s contagious; it gives the feeling of connection. Laughter breaks through feelings of isolation and alienation.

We are all desperately trying to connect. We have almost lost the art. Everyone is waiting in the wings for someone else to do something a little playful so that they can come out and play, too.

Humor is important in marriage and other relationships. Says Goodheart, "When you laugh with someone or cry with someone, you experience a connection." Why then do we not practice what is can be so good for us? The very stressors that need a humorous break can make people too serious. Whereas children tend to cry or laugh off a mistake they make, adults tend to become trapped in negative analysis.

For Goodheart, the idea that you cannot laugh and be serious at the same time is a dangerous myth. Understanding this principle will make the workplace more humane and productive according to some experts. Besides its healing and bonding significance, humor has helped people endure very difficult situations. We are all aware of battlefield humor, and holocaust survivors have told how they used humor to preserve "their will to live."

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. What have you learned about humor and laughter in this article that you can use in your life or relationships?
2. What makes you laugh or chuckle the most? About how many times a day do you think you laugh? Do youth think you need to increase or cut down on your levity and fooling around?
3. Are you part of a relationship or group that needs more humor?
4. Do we need to work at bringing humor and laughing into our lives? Is it something we need to practice?

IMPLICATIONS

1. Humor is not only being encouraged for physical, emotional, and social health. It is encouraged in religious circles as well. By the 1990s, "holy laughter" had become a feature of some Vineyard and related churches. Though the significance of laughter liturgically is debated, its appearance in such church services further attests to its healing and uplifting value.
2. A professor recently received a spontaneous ovation for a humorous segment of a four-hour class. We need to give some thought as to the effective use of humor in youth groups, classrooms, homes, workplace and churches.

Dean Borgman cCYS