Cynics, scholars, comedians, candidates, reporters, writers, philosophers and just about everyone else from Plato to Groucho has used humor at one time or another. Every wit, wag, pundit, punster, and one-liner champion has tried his hand at humor.

Humor is being applied in business to reduce stress and prevent burn-out. More and more, successful companies are discovering the value of using humor in all aspects of business to make achieving their goals fun. It has been used for marketing, team-building and improving customer relations, and employers have used it to promote colleagiality in the workplace. Why is humor used in staff meetings, newsletters, sales meetings, board meetings, memos, bulletin boards, waiting rooms, break rooms, and even bathrooms?

The average adult laughs 17 times a day, and although this may seem to be a second nature type of response, it is actually a complex "learned" response that involves many of the same skills used in solving problems. Careful measurements of the electrical activity within the brain have shown a similarity between the two processes.

The positive psychological and emotional effects of humor are now being recognized by health professionals. Humor is a powerful technique for eliminating unhealthy feelings. Everyone has experienced the pleasurable feeling and lightness that follows deep belly laughter. When we experience the emotional effects of deep laughter, anxiety, depression, and anger are transiently reduced or eliminated. It seems that mirth and positive/negative emotions cannot simultaneously be expressed. Laughter may be thought of as the physiological/biochemical element of humor and it stimulates many of our body's systems. The physiological benefits of laughter are well-recognized by scientists and physicians and it is well-known that laughter may reduce pain, decrease the levels of stress hormones, and numerous research studies have demonstrated a decreased heart rate among "heavy laughers." Not all laughter results in these positive effects. Some people experience "nervous" laughter, which is by itself a stress response and it may be our brain's attempt to reduce the stress of the circumstance. Laughter combined with mirth (an emotional feeling of jocularity) seems to be the most beneficial physiologically.

Some have described laughter as "jogging of the internal organs." Many patients, suffering from debilitating, painful disease, have attested to the relief that they get from several minutes they get from deep belly laughter. So, if you are a health professional, use humor liberally, as it is inexpensive, relatively risk-free, and it may even serve as a coping tool for you in some uncomfortable situations. If you are a patient or family member, and you could use a bit of relief, be receptive.

Choose to laugh.

Hardness yields to laughter, and

irritation and resentment slips away.

Relaxation ensues and focuses attention.

Improved attention expands awareness.

Awareness promotes insight.

Insight improves understanding.

Understanding invites peace.

Peace brings happiness.

Happiness is a choice -- and a virtue too.

An old Jewish proverb reminds us that, "What soap is for the body, tears are for the soul." Although, everything looks different through tears. Remember, you won't taste the medicine if it is stirred into your juice -- so sweeten up your life, a little humor can go along way.

World Wide Web Resources

HumorMatters Home Page

http://www.humormatters.com/

This web site is dedicated to the power and practice of positive therapeutic humor. You will learn about humor and its relationship to health and healing. Their goal is to educate, inform, and help you network and locate resources.

LINKS TO THE BEST HUMOR PAGES ON THE NET

http://cust.iamerica.net/rstill/link1.htm

This site will provide links to 240-plus humorous sites on the World Wide Web. New and improved laugh links are updated frequently. Browse around to find something that will suit your individual humor taste buds.

American Association for Therapeutic Humor

http://ideanurse.com/aath/

This site is committed to advancing our knowledge and understanding of humor and laughter as it relates to healing and well-being.

Dr. Humor

http://www.drhumor.com/

From the National Association for the Humor Impaired, this web site provides information through public speaking and print media of the value and benefits of humor to improve the quality of life for all of us. It will help to identify those who may be "humor impaired" and has unique products available to help prevent a humor impairment epidemic.

Dr. Scott Gibbs is a neurosurgeon and editor-in-chief of Mosby's Medical Surfari. You may e-mail questions to him at drgibbs@semissourian.com or write iun care of the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO., 63701.