Take time to laugh today, not just once, but again and again. It may be hard to find something amusing, and having a giggle probably seems inappropriate right now, but you need to laugh if you hope to stay well. This was the message Wellness Educator Paula Paunic conveyed to a group of Toastmasters in Dhahran at the Second Saudi Arabia Toastmasters Annual Division “A” Conference.

The conference featured a number of educational programs designed to bolster the skill sets of the attendees. Helping people laugh might not seem to be that important of an achievement, but Paunic’s seminar, “Managing Stress Through Humor,” amply demonstrated that the gift of laughter is priceless.

“Laughter and tension cannot coexist in the body,” said Paunic. “It’s one or the other. The relaxation benefits of laughter can last up to 45 minutes. When we are relaxed, we feel better and function better. Many studies have found that humor helps us gain a fuller and more realistic perspective on life and offers us a cathartic release.”

Individuals face different types of stress every day. Stress is the mental or physical tension that can result from any kind of demand placed on the human body and its systems. This tension comes from a variety of sources and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Stress only becomes a problem when it causes a person to be distressed.

“I define bad stress as feeling out of control or not feeling proud of your accomplishments,” Paunic stated. “Bad stress can lead to toxic thoughts. These negative thoughts are dangerous because they suppress the body’s immune system and that’s an invitation to illness.”

Positive humor is one way to reduce the effects of stress on health, and cultivate the goodwill and energy necessary to tackle a difficult situation. In other words, a good laugh is beneficial in many ways. Laughing appears to reduce levels of certain stress hormones. It boosts the immune system and lowers blood pressure. Laughter can also be great exercise. According to Paunic, laughing 100 times is equivalent to working out for 10 minutes on a rowing machine or 15 minutes on a stationary bicycle.

What exactly is laughter?

“Under certain conditions our body performs rhythmic, vocalized, expiratory and involuntary actions,” explained Paunic. “Fifteen facial muscles contract. The respiratory system is upset by the epiglottis half-closing, so air intake occurs in irregular gasps, rather than calm breaths. Under extreme circumstances, the tear ducts are activated. Noises often accompany this odd behavior, ranging from controlled snickers, escaped chortles and spontaneous giggles, to cackles, noisy hoots and guffaws. This is laughter, and it’s contagious.”

Laughter is also one of our first ways of expressing emotion. Children laugh — a lot. Paunic pointed to research, which has found that the average five-year-old laughs 400 times a day. The average adult laughs just 10 to 15 times daily. With so little laughter in life, it’s no wonder that many adults are beset with chronic illnesses. But how can people laugh when they’re not happy?

“Happiness is something that people choose for themselves,” asserted Paunic. “A positive attitude is the key to managing stress.”

During her seminar, Paunic gave examples of people in awful circumstances who chose to be happy and enriched their lives and the lives of those around them through laughter. A positive outlook has helped some people overcome situations and illnesses, that were generally fatal. Perceiving the world with good humor appears to be vital to living life to the fullest.

“Make sure though that you are being exposed to positive humor. There are two types of humor — caustic humor and compassionate humor,” commented Paunic. “Caustic humor is used in such a way that feelings of hostility, distress and general negativity are aroused. We feel embarrassed, humiliated or resentful when exposed to caustic humor. It should be avoided. Compassionate humor helps to bridge gaps between people, break tension, provide hope and increase positivity in a situation. Compassionate humor is beneficial to our health. It should be embraced.”

Paunic has the following suggestions to bring a little laughter therapy into your life.

• Collect funny cartoons, jokes, photos or anything else that triggers laughter.

• Join Internet mailing lists that send out jokes daily.

• Return to some of the simple pleasures of childhood — blow bubbles, play games.

• Spend at least half an hour weekly watching a sitcom, a comedian or a comedy movie.

• Exaggerate tough situations. This makes their absurdity apparent and provides a different perspective. Once it’s possible to laugh at a situation, then it will be easier to let go of the misery and move on with life.

Always try to keep in mind that when you laugh the world laughs with you and those who laugh... last.

Arab News Features 21 March 2003