Uticopa Blog

Of all the tools to combat depression and negativity, humour is by far the best medicine - for both patient and doctor!  Television and radio are both under-rated as purveyors of exactly this kind of medicine, no data ever being collected on the numbers of sick people made to feel appreciably better by switching-on at home and laughing uncontrollably at the comic of the day.  From the comedians of yesteryear like Laurel and Hardy or Jack Benny, to Tommy Cooper or that special brand of comedian today like Jackie Mason who use ethnicity to make us laugh - we all have our favourites.  By watching other people's mishaps, we laugh and feel instantly better. 

But, is there a scientific reason for this?  Here are a few examples:

Humour combats fear

The current economical woes remind me of a story whereby a man, hearing that his friend's food stall is doing well, asks him for a loan. No, says his friend firmly. I made an agreement with the bank:  he wouldn't sell hot-dogs and I wouldn't give loans!  Laughter makes us forget for a moment our own troubles. Humour puts a sugar-coating over our fear because it changes our perspective of the past and of the present. That traumatic time from your childhood somehow loses its tight grip on your heart once you can place it into the ‘ridiculous' category of other stories from the past.  Similarly, marital problems can be overlaid with a playful perspective to reduce tension. What laughter does is to force us to take a few steps back and to create a welcome gap between that worrying situation and our reaction to it.

Humour comforts

Some of the funniest people seem to have lived lives of torment. Think of the hysterical Spike Milligan who famously said that his tombstone would bear the words ‘I told you I was ill'!  His life was full of ‘black humour', as are many circus clowns, whose antics in the ring often belie the tragedy of their personal lives.

There is an unspoken message hidden within a laugh that says "I promise you'll get through this." It is now standard practice for children's hospitals to send in entertainers to console sick children and bring in fun surprises. Clearly, it's to make the children feel better - but also their parents who, when they hear their children laugh for the first time in days or weeks, gain a measure of hope and comfort.

Humour relaxes

Like any exercise, laughing relaxes you, introducing health-giving oxygen thereby working against chronic stress. When you push any ‘engine' to its maximum, its workings can stutter, e.g. the human body may get irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure, and increased sensitivity to pain. But humour counters this by toning down the autonomic nervous system and this allows the heart to relax.

Humour reduces pain

Many mental health therapists use humour as a marvellous tool to reduce pain. And science backs these efforts. In a study published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, some patients were told some one-liners immediately prior to administration of potentially painful injections. Those patients who were exposed to humour complained less of pain than did those who didn't receive humour stimuli.

Humour boosts the immune system

Two hormones - beta-endorphins (which alleviate depression) and human growth hormone (HGH, which helps with immunity) - have been shown to increase by 27 and 87 percent respectively when volunteers anticipated watching a humorous video. Simply anticipating laughter boosted health-protecting hormones and chemicals. Laughter was also found to increase the ability to fight viruses and foreign cells.

Humour cultivates optimism

Humour is like gratitude in that it nurtures optimism. Appreciation is the first and most fundamental happiness tool. Research now shows it is physiologically impossible to be in a state of appreciation and a state of fear at the same time. Thus, appreciation is the antidote to fear.

Humour helps communication

This is good marriage advice for anyone, but especially for those prone to anxiety and depression. Humour is a way to articulate family truths that are particularly difficult to express otherwise.

Just as Jackie Mason would say.....A wealthy businessman was lying on his deathbed, surrounded by his family. He opens his eyes ‘Is Maurice here?' Yes father.  ‘Is Sonny here?' Yes father. ‘What about Sadie, Benny and David?' Yes, yes father, we're all here, they chorused. The old man dozed a little, then said suddenly wide-awake ‘So, who's looking after the shop?'

.....for the rest of us, life too is chock-full of pathos and joy overlapping in ever-concentric circles as we edge our way along that path called life.  It can be bittersweet, but laughter definitely lightens the way.  Enjoy some today - you'll feel much better for it.