Laughter is good for the soul -- and body, too

"Laughter binds us together. It gives us hope and is a blessing," said Sister Anne Bryan Smollin, CSJ, executive director of the diocesan Counseling for the Laity Office and author of "Jiggle Your Heart and Tickle Your Soul."

Laughter, Sister Anne said, can be an important part of worship. "To be really sacred, we need to laugh," she added.

Humor and God

"God made us whole people," she said. "Do we only bring our pious self to worship, or do we bring our whole selves? [Humor] makes worship more human and enticing."

Balance is key, Ms. Lochner said, referring to the passage in Ecclesiastes that states: "To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven....A time to weep and a time to laugh."

Beneficial laughs

Humor plays an important role in relationships. "It unifies us," Sister Anne said. "It brings a group together. Humor also has a healing component and can help you get rid of anger."

Humor in the work place can help people work better together, Ms. Lochner said. Research has shown that offices that utilize humor have less illness than other offices.

Healthy humor

In her own life, she has seen the benefits of humor. "If I find I can't think any more, watching a comedy video helps me to relax," she said.

Humor plays an important role in relationships. "When we laugh together, we can get through the hard times," Sister Anne said. "This is true for all kinds of friendships. It's what bonds us together. It's like throwing a stone into a pond and watching the ripples. It doesn't just affect you -- it affects those around you."

Ms. Lochner has found humor has enhanced her relationships. "In my marriage it makes a big difference," she said. "We joke and laugh about our differences. It's a light-hearted way to communicate."

Careful with chuckles

Ms. Lochner agreed: "Hostile and abrasive humor isn't humor. There are a lot more [negative] health consequences with these. Aggression and hostility kill people."

Jokes and comments that put people down are not healthy forms of humor. These include racist, sexist and vulgar humor. "You don't need to say an off-color word to be funny," Sister Anne said.

There is also a fine line between humor and putting yourself down, Sister Anne explained. "Putting yourself down in a sarcastic way is not humor," she said. "But accepting yourself as who you are and acknowledging you're a human being is okay. It's a level of respect for self."

Attitude

In order to be healthy, a humorous event can be something that makes you smile; it doesn't have to be something that makes you laugh until you cry.

"People think it has to be a big momentous event," Ms. Lochner said. "It can be smiling. It's stepping back and taking a look on the lighter side."

Sister Anne agreed, saying, "Humor is an attitude that brings a lightness that allows us to laugh at ourselves."

One-a-day vitamin

Ms. Lochner advises those looking for a way to warm their funny bone to start a humor file. Cartoons, stories and articles that make you smile can go into the file. Watching funny videos and acting more playful are beneficial as well.

She also suggests keeping a log of funny events and then looking at the events through the eyes of a favorite comedian. "Ask yourself, `How would Seinfeld or Jay Leno spin this?'" she said. "If you look for humor, you'll find it."

Tips for laughter

Other suggestions Sister Anne had include hanging up cartoons, telling funny stories and surrounding yourself with positive people.

Sister Anne has found that e-mail can also help add a dose of humor to daily life. Many people use it to send jokes, funny stories or cartoons.

How many yucks?

The need for humor and laughter is great. "I think a lot of us are taking ourselves too seriously," Ms. Lochner said. "There's too much information overload."

Sister Anne said there seems to be more of a need for humor today. Of all of the requests she gets to do talks, humor is the most requested one. "People are crying out for it," she said. "They're starving for it."

Sister Anne encourages those who say they don't have time for humor to look at what their priorities are. There are moments throughout the day where humor can slip in -- like being stuck in traffic or waiting in a long line. "You can make the choice to find the best," she said.

(Donna Lochner's workshop on "The Pleasure Prescription: Reaping the Health Benefits of Humor, Enjoyment and Laughter" will be held May 6, 7 p.m., at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Albany. Registration is $10. To register, call 489-4431.)

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