to good health By Linda Shepard ROCHESTER HILLS — Laugh often and heartily. That’s the message of developmental psychologist Paul McGhee, who says laughter is not just the best medicine, it is essential medicine. “Positive emotions have a positive impact on health,” he said. McGhee presented Humor as Survival Training for Stressful Times at Oakland University. The university’s Wellness, Health Promotion and Injury Prevention program presented the “therapeutic laughter session” to all, free of charge, on March 22. About 75 students attended the session, eagerly participating in McGhee’s instructions to break laughter into five basic steps. “Number one, smile,” McGhee said. “Then, raise your eyebrows and squint. Drop your lower jaw, let your lower muscles go and belly laugh for 10 second.” Laughing elevates the heart rate and changes breathing patterns. “You feel more alert,” McGhee said. “It’s a good way of releasing tension.” Studies have shown that laughter can aid a compromised immune system and is effective in reducing pain, he said. For seriously ill patients, laughter can turn into crying via an emotional shift, he said. “Negative emotions come out. Sadness and grief decide to come out, and your body just goes there. Laughter is good at breaking barriers of negative expression. To hold things in can take a toll on you.” The laugh and cry process can be cathartic, he said. “The thing you can’t talk about, you are more able to talk about. That’s a benefit of humor through the back door.” McGhee was a member of Oakland University’s first graduating class. “My student number was 494,” he said. “In 1963, there were just three buildings here, the Oakland Center and North and South Foundation halls.” The OU alumnus is the creator of The Laughter Remedy. McGhee is a pioneer in the area of humor research, and spent 22 years conducting basic research on humor and laughter while teaching at the university level. He is internationally known for his humor research, and has published more than 50 scientific articles and 13 books on the subject. Since 1989, McGhee has offered programs on humor for health and stress management to corporations, hospitals and other organizations. Chris Stiller, who teaches physical therapy at Oakland, made it a requirement for all of her students to attend the laughter session. “What humor does physiologically and emotionally for patients is important,” Stiller said. “Helping healing. It is also good for the student’s own health.” McGee agreed, and said that all health workers should recognize the benefits of humor. “They are involved in death, dying and serious injuries,” he said. “It is essential for them to know humor is a powerful coping tool. “Be on the lookout for humor, make it a habit,” McGee said. He advises all to find humor in everyday life. “Take yourself lightly, laugh at your own mistakes. Find humor in the midst of stress. “You don’t want to go a day without laughter,” he said. You can reach Linda Shepard at lshepard@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1065. |
