Consider
humor as a kind of aphrodisiac for the workplace, a mask for pain, a
``social lubricant'' to improve your personal relations with others.
Humor offers so many benefits, says David M. Jacobson,MSW that it's
worth pursuing and expanding in our lives.
Jacobson, manager of volunteer services at University Medical Center
and expert on the topic of humor and health, makes it a point to clip
funny headlines, collect humorous books like George Carlin's ``Brain
Droppings,'' record Marx Brothers' movies - even keep a humor journal
of good jokes and family situations.
Keeps "humor bottle'' filled
He's on chemotherapy and anti-inflammatory drugs to fight what ails
him. But he also keeps a "humor bottle'' filled with one-liners that at
times work better than the drugs, he said.
Yesterday at a meeting of the Health and Wellness Marketing Group, he
asked attendees to list the things that happen when they are
threatened: increased heart rate, sweating, adrenalin increase, shallow
breathing, decreased ability to tolerate pain, decreased ability to
digest food.
The humor response is the antidote to all that,'' he said, giving off a
hearty guffaw to prove the point. You're taking real deep breaths,
you're oxygenating your blood, you're ability to tolerate pain
increases. Research shows that people who laugh heartily on a regular
basis have lower blood pressure than the average population.''
Jacobson explained that at age 22, while working at a kibbutz in
Israel, he came down with rheumatic fever, systemic arthritis and heart
problems.
One of the ways I got back on my feet was by using humor to cope with
the illness and pain. It was my No. 1 coping mechanism,'' he said.
``Humor can be a very powerful thing. Ten minutes of hearty laughing
can give you two hours of pain-free sleep.''
Even small things can be made humorous, he told the meeting at the Pima
County Medical Society, 5199 E. Farness Drive.
When I find an empty elevator at UMC, after I get in and the doors
close, I celebrate,'' he said.
When I started as a social worker at UMC around Christmas 1988, my boss
asked how the week went. Words couldn't describe it, so I just
collapsed on the floor. I was complimented by others afterward for
making the meeting a little lighter.''
Even flipping through a church bulletin can bring on the smiles.
His favorites: Don't let worry kill you. Let the church help,'' or ``A
bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music
will follow,'' or ``This afternoon there will be a meeting in the south
and north ends of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.''
Take a stressful situation and turn it into a funny one, he suggested.
If you're involved in a heated argument, pause a moment and think to
yourself, ``What would Elmer Fudd do in this situation?''
Back in control
When you smile to yourself, you're back in control of the situation,''
he said.
In traffic, rather than stew about how stressed you are waiting for the
traffic light to change, ``look for something funny around you. Enjoy
the moment.
We can't control the event, but we can control our response to the
event. Stress isn't the event itself, it's our reaction to it.''
Information on the Health and Wellness Marketing Group is available by
calling T.J. McGreevy at 323-3288.
Additional Comments
The above article briefly mentions some of the
benefits of humor for your health. Besides the benefits mentioned
above, there are additional psychological, social, physical, economic
and spiritual benefits to humor.
If you would like me to speak to your group regarding these amazing
benefits, contact me through my Main page below.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
David M. Jacobson, MSW
President: Humor Horizons
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