Laughter May be Good Medicine.

Laughter may be good medicine. That is what recent studies are suggesting, confirming what sages have been saying for millennia. Researchers recently reported that a daily dose of laughter can be beneficial to the heart because, just like exercise, it makes our blood vessels work more efficiently. Depression, on the other hand, can increase the risk of dying from heart failure, yet another study found.

Researcher Dr. Michael Miller said, “We don’t recommend that you laugh and not exercise, but we do recommend that you try to laugh on a regular basis. Thirty minutes of exercise three times a week, and 15 minutes of laughter on a daily basis is probably good for the vascular system.”

Dr. Miller and colleagues looked specifically at the endothelium, the lining of blood vessels. They found that average blood flow increased 22 percent during laughter, while decreasing 35 percent during mental stress. “The endothelium is the first line in the development of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, so, given the results of our study, it is conceivable that laughing may be important to maintain a healthy endothelium, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease,” Miller reported.

In short, laughter may be almost as helpful as exercise. “The magnitude of change we saw in the endothelium is similar to the benefit we might see with aerobic activity, but without the aches, pains and muscle tension associated with exercise,” Miller said.

Laughter has been called “inner jogging,” and its total health benefits are impressive. Laughter elevates mood, revs up the immune system, improves brain functioning, protects the heart, enhances creativity, lowers blood pressure, reduces pain, fosters relaxation, connects you to others, and spawns an overall sense of well-being. A session of giggling also reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine, helping you to cope better with daily tension.

Enhancing your sense of humor requires putting time, focus and energy into those experiences which make you laugh and feel better. If you want to increase your sense of humor, here are some tips to help:

– Look for humor in the everyday. Look for and become sensitized to the silly, absurd and incongruous things that go on around you daily.

– Observe infants and little children. Learn from them how to find amusement and delight in the most ordinary things.

– Elevate your exposure to comedy. Attend to funny movies, sitcoms, joke books, comedy clubs and the like.

– Hang around funny people. Laughter is contagious and they can jump-start your humor.

– Take a 5 to10 minute humor break daily. Read jokes, create a humor notebook, listen to a comedian on tape.

– When you hear a joke you like, write it down. Then practice telling it to friends.

– Remind yourself that life is to be enjoyed. Remember to have some fun every day.

– Associate with those who help you see life’s brighter side. Not only is laughter contagious, but so is positive, possibility thinking.

– Be wary of taking in negative messages. Avoid conversations, entertainment, news, etc., that upset, frighten and distress you, or push you toward feeling sad and unhappy. Bad news you shall have with you always. Fortunately, there will always be laughable news.