Jest for the Health of It!

by Dr. Joseph Michelli

Humor truly represents a set of skills which increase our capacity to stay fluid and flexible when we think our lives are out of control.

Humor skill development emphasizes shifting cognitive sets from tracking negatives to tracking positives.

The novelist Arthur Koestler wrote that laughter is a reflex but unique in that it has no apparent biological purpose. One might call it a luxury reflex. Its only function seems to be to provide relief from tension. From Mr. Koestler’s perspective, laughter and humor skills have little value. Thanks, however, to the work of psychoneuroimmunologists and our own clinical experiences we know that, if laughter isn’t “the best medicine,” it certainly is a component in emotional and physical health and well-being.

Consistent with health care reform throughout American, emphasis has been placed on preventative, low cost measures to decrease stress and improve immune functioning. Clinics have (Continue Reading…)

Adding Humor to Your Family

by Dr. Joseph Michelli

*

For children, play is equivalent to work. Children don't feel it's work but play is their work. When we observe children playing, they seem to be involved but with no distinct purpose. It becomes clear that play lures children into learning. They are drawn to activities that pleasure them and help them to master essential skills.

*

Respond to negative emotions with creativity. There are many choices for dealing with negative emotions. For example, when your child has a temper tantrum in a public place, you can choose a number of different ways to respond. One is to get angry and yell; another is to tell people in the grocery store that he's studying to be an opera singer. Which one do you suppose would relax you more?

*

All children are gifted – each in his or her own way. Humor is a tool that can (Continue Reading…)

The way we laughed

by Izzy Gesell MSEd, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional)

A few years ago I set out to explore the way people laughed through out this century. With the help of several grants and hundreds of Senior Citizens between the ages of 60 and 95, I not only gained insight into the ways they laughed but also into how we today can make ourselves happier.

I started the project under two assumptions. First, things were more naive back then; life was not as fraught with violence and mayhem as it is now. Second, that my to recall funny incidents, jokes and stories. After all, since laughter is such a precious commodity, I was sure it would be effortless for them to go into the safe deposit box stored in their memories and pull out a few gems to share with me.

To my surprise, however, I did not hear a great many (Continue Reading…)

Prevent Hardening of the Attitudes With Humor

by Izzy Gesell MSEd, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional)

Laughter is the salt of personality. Its presence is an evidence of good nature, of the appreciation of the real values of life and a lack of tenseness. It is the most effective means of easing a difficult situation. — George Gow

It is generally agreed that good sense — and a good sense of humor — are important management tools that will carry you a long way in business and in life. Not as clear is why this is true or how one becomes more skilled at humor. Let’s look at an area where you can easily profit from an expanded sense of humor — setting the tone for the work environment and some simple ways to develop your own sense of humor.

Humor in the workplace works like a thermostat, controlling the climate within the environment. It (Continue Reading…)

Re-Moralizing Ourselves Through Humor

by Izzy Gesell MSEd, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional)

“Morale — the level of individual psychological well-being based on such factors as a sense of purpose and confidence in the future.”

It is not surprising that people feel demoralized these days. As our society continues through a social, political, and economic metamorphosis, many folks are caught in the midst of tremendous turmoil wrought by the ongoing changes. It’s hard to keep an optimistic outlook on the future when that future threatens to turn your present existence inside out.

It’s worthwhile to remember that most situations in life come in one of two forms – those we can control and those we can’t. When acting on a situation within our control, we feel competent and in charge. Taking action on a situation out of our control — such as traffic jams, federal regulations or other peoples’ behavior — often leaves us frustrated (Continue Reading…)

What is healing humor?

by Dan Gascon

Humor has great healing power when used appropriately. By transcending the seriousness of the individual’s or group’s past experiences, humor can relieve and revive, creating a positive common force between people and cultures. It can even defuse and ease tension that is racial or hateful. Humor always has its best results when it is felt and thought out, so increase your understanding by learning the guidelines for Healing Humor:

HEALING HUMOR

ACCEPTS the difficulty in situations along life’s journey.

TAKES RESPONSIBILITY for its actions and reactions.

BONDS people and issues together in understanding.

LAUGHS with others and at itself.

SOLVES problems.

BUILDS CONFIDENCE in group and individual situations.

INVOLVES everyone in the fun.

EMPOWERS the forces of change.

“If our attempt at humor is gentle and from the heart, the risks are minimal; we cannot fail.”
Allen Klein

—-

Copyright 2005 by Dan Gascon. Reprinted with permission. Founder of Humor for your Health. Reach Dan at www.humorforyourhealth.com

What is comedy?

by Dan Gascon

“Comedy, we may say, is society protecting itself – with a smile.”
J.B. Priestley

Comedy is humor’s day-job. It is defined as: an amusing art form with a happy ending; a class of play or show; a funny happening or incident; the comic or humorous element in life. What comes to your mind when you think of comedy, and what makes it in your life?

Comedy is made by pointing out the incongruities (the inappropriate, out of place, unharmonious, incompatible, inconsistent and illogical) in life.

Most comedy happens two ways:

1. When the expected is replaced by the unexpected.
2. On a realization, a falling into place or a getting it.

The link between what is comedy and what is tragic is as old as mankind. In fact, most theater and film humor stories combine both elements in a form known as the tragicomedy – the main character has to survive numerous roadblocks, (Continue Reading…)

The Healing Effects of Humor

by Dan Gascon

The time it will take for your healing, and your ability to cope, are directly affected by the feelings and emotions you associate with.

“Negative emotions have a negative effect on health. Positive emotions a positive effect.”
Norman Cousins

Think about spending a large part of your emotional day feeling negative. What about spending large amounts of time around other people who spend most of their time being negative? Think about these words:

angry
upset
gloomy unhappy
despair
guilty sullen
depressed
ignored lonely
sad
hurt

Do you have that sinking feeling? Overexposure to negativity is very unhealthy and can make you sick. It depletes your strength and makes it more difficult to resist disease.

Now think about spending most of your emotional day feeling positive, spending time with others who are positive. Think about these words:

joy
happy
kind cheerful
laughter
delighted calm
joking
vivacious love
giggle
merriment

It gives you a lift just thinking about them! Humor and laughter are symbols for all the positive emotions. They (Continue Reading…)

The Gift of laughter

by Dan Gascon

Laughter is a bonding force that has no cultural, social or spiritual exemptions. Laughter is the sweetest human music, the medicine of the soul, the sound healing and a window into the heart’s concerns and interests. Hence the ancient saying;

By their joy and laughter, shall ye know them, heal them, and love them

Laughter’s main gift, is it’s healing power over our bodies, minds and souls. Mentally, it can transcend any situation by causing us to focus outward and expand our vision away from the issue at hand. It separates us form the “funk” we may be in and installs a sense of self-protection and control over our environment. It gives us a break when things become too difficult to handle. Laughter helps us cope and gives us new perspectives illustrated in this mantra;

Pleasant thoughts, words and sounds mean happiness and health abounds

The physical effects of (Continue Reading…)

The Ancient History of Humor and Health

by Dan Gascon

There is a deep, historical relationship between the two words humor and health. Their interaction is essential for our well-being.

The word humor derives from the Latin word umor, which means fluid or liquid; to be moist. At least as early as 2500 B.C., ancient Greek and Ayurvedic medicines, along with traditional Chinese medicine, linked the body with the cosmos. They believed the Earth’s elements were converted during digestion into three body fluids called humors; vatta (wind-breath), pitta (bile) and kapha (phlegm). In 400 B.C., Hippocrates helped refine the Greek idea of there being four humors, and in the 2nd century A.D. the physician Galen wrote extensively on them. It was believed the four humors related to the elements and the seasons, and were qualities of temperament and disposition:

The Body’s 4 Humors
sanguine
choleric
melancholic
phlegmatic blood
yellow bile
black bile
phlegm (air, spring)
(fire, summer)
(earth, fall)
(water, winter) optimistic, cheerful
angry, irritable
sad, (Continue Reading…)