A Merry Heart

“A merry heart does good like….”

Picture this: a doctor's waiting room full of patients. The conditions represented are varied and many, such as heart disease, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.

But instead of the usual quiet, sterile environment, reruns of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” continually play on a monitor in the corner, in a volume loud enough for everyone to hear. The typical home and hunting magazines are substituted by the Sunday comics, and books by humor writers such as Dave Barry and Barbara Johnson.

Instead of the patients leaving the doctor's office with somber expressions and low voices, they come out with grins, sometimes even laughing hysterically.

Humor helps your health

Such a scenario might surprise you. It might even strike you as a bit irreverent. But it would be right in step with what recent studies have shown linking laughter and human physiology: a merry heart, as stated in Proverbs 17:22, does indeed do good like a medicine.

For example, one study demonstrated that people with heart disease are 40% less likely to laugh, when exposed to different situations, than people their same age without disease.                                                                                                              (http://www.umm.edu/features/laughter.htm)

In other words, if you are serious as a heart attack, you may just be setting yourself up for one.

How your body profits from a good laugh

We all know that laughing feels good (unless you've got an injured rib, in which case, well, I'm sorry). We've all experienced the release of the pressure and stress of a bad day when we read or hear a funny story or joke.

However, laughter can do more than alleviate stress. It offers some of the same benefits of a moderate workout, such as stretching muscles, increasing heart rate and breathing—which brings more oxygen into our energy-depleted cells. Other studies indicate that laughter may increase blood flow, boost the immune system, and lower blood sugar.
(http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/07/health/webmd/main1481492.shtml)

How does that translate into everyday life? What are the ultimate benefits of a merry heart? More oxygen equals higher energy levels and a greater ability to stay focused. A boost in the immune system equates to a lesser likelihood of catching the latest virus going around. Increased blood flow means more food for the brain, and therefore more potential for a release of creativity and innovative ideas.

Of course, no discussion about the healing effects of laughter would be complete without mention of Norman Cousins book, Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient. In the book, Cousins tells how he laughed his way back to health after doctors gave him a death sentence.

The best thing about a merry heart? It is totally natural, has no side effects, and can be used when pregnant or breastfeeding. 

The worst thing? If you are like me, you don't take this medicine nearly often enough. 

May I coach you? Take a deep breath, open your mouth wide, and say, "HA, HA, HA! HEE, HEE, HEE!" Repeat until symptoms of seriousness subside and a merry heart replaces the doldrums. (If you need help, try some clean comedy DVDs.)