T H E T H E H E A L I N GH E A L I N G

P O W E RP O W E Rofof

H U M O RH U M O RLinda J. Keilman, DNP, GNP-BC

Faculty Disclosure

Consistent with the ACCME Standards of Commercial Support, faculty for the symposium are expected to disclose any economic or other personal interests that create, or may be perceived as creating, a conflict related to the materials discussed.

Linda Keilman declares that she does not have a financial interest/arrangement oraffiliation with one or more organizations that could be perceived as a real or apparent conflict of interest in the context of the subject of this presentation.

Objectives:Objectives:

1. Discuss the therapeutic healing effects of humor on the mind, body, and spirit.

2. Describe humor interventions to utilize with clients and their families for increasing coping and quality of life.

3. Identify how to utilize humor as a therapeutic tool/intervention.

• An innate human quality• Creative• Balanced • Loving• Spontaneous• Source of power• Helps us to cope• Keeps us balanced• Constantly being modified by life experience

• Can be an empowerment tool

– Gain a different perspective on problems, stressors, everyday life

• Can help give a sense of control in life

– Powerful versus Powerless

• Reflects a positive orientation to life & a sense of well-being

• Holistic – mind, body & spirit

• Capable of reducing stress & enhancing communication

• The way we view the world

• Unique to every individual

• No known negative side effects

• A gift!

• With smiling – 15 facial muscles contract

• Average adult laughs “maybe” 17 times/day

• Laugh 30 times more when in a group

• Purpose of laughter is to trigger positive feelings in others (& self)

• Improves quality of life

• The best medicine?

Humor Is Not:Humor Is Not:

• Judgmental• Ageist, sexist• Prejudice• Culturally insensitive• Negative• Aggressive• At the expense of others• Jokes alone

• Anxiety

• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

• Autism spectrum disorder

• Bipolar mania

• Co-morbid, chronic conditions

• Cognitive impairment

• Dementia

• Depression

• Disinhibition• Drugs & ETOH• Grief, loss, bereavement• Fatigue• Multiple medications• Myxedema• Pain syndrome• Paranoid personality disorder• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)• Sensory losses (Greenberg, 2011)

What Are The What Are The Areas of the BodyAreas of the Body

Positively Positively Affected Affected

bybyHumor Humor

&&Laughter?Laughter?

Muscles

&

Bones

• Increases blood pressure

• Increases heart rate

• Increase in vascular blood flow

• Increase in oxygenation of the blood

• Increases circulation

– Skin

• Provides cardiac conditioning

Initially - & then lowers

Hiccupping

Coughing

•• PsychoneuroimmunologyPsychoneuroimmunology

– Mind, body connection

– When in a state of mirth, natural killer cells that destroy tumors & viruses increase

– Laughter brings balance to all components of the immune system

• Laughter reduces levels of certain stress hormones which tighten blood vessels & suppress immune activity:

– Epinephrine (adrenaline)

– Dopamine

– Cortisol

– Growth hormone

• “Fight or flight syndrome”

• Laughter triggers the release of & increasesthe level of health-enhancing hormones:

– Endorphins

• The body’s natural painkillers

• Produces a general sense of well being

• Promotes relaxation

– Neurotransmitters

– T-cells; Gamma interferon

• In 1984, the Journal of the American Medical Association printed an article & acknowledged that laughter therapy could improve chronic disease, patient’s quality of life (QOL) & help reduce pain (Black, 1984)

• Pain reduction– Increased pain threshold & tolerance– Analgesic effect– When humor used as adjunct to

conventional care– Humor allows a person to “forget” aches

& pains (time varies)– Distraction– Enhances coping

Humor Assessment of the Consumer/ClientHumor Assessment of the Consumer/Client

1. Have they given any clues that indicate they are receptive to humor?

2. Do they attempt to share humor with staff, family or others?

3. What is the individuals ability to perceive & understand humor?

4. How do they use humor? 5. If you share humor will it be perceived as

caring or annoying?

• Laughter dissolves distressing emotions• Helps you relax & recharge

– Reduces stress– Increases energy

• Shifts perspective– See situations more realistically– Less threatening

• Creates psychological distance– Help avoid feeling overwhelmed

Enables you to stay focused & accomplish more

• Decreases anxiety

• Stabilizes mood

• Rests the brain

• Enhances communication

• Maintains hope

• Bolsters morale

• Is contagious

• Prevents toxicity

• Makes time fly

• Effective coping mechanism

• Tears down barriers

• Relieves burnout & lightens burdens

• Promotes “self care”

• Transcends everyday existence & difficulties

• Increases social support– Social competence– Intimacy– Social relationships

• Adopt an attitude of playfulness

• Think funny

• Laugh at yourself

• Take yourself lightly

• Make others laugh

• Have fun!

• Keep things in perspective

Checklist for Lightening UpChecklist for Lightening Up

Ask these questions -Is it really worth getting upset over?

Is it worth upsetting others? Is it that important?

Is it that bad? Is the situation in your control?

Is the situation irreparable? Is it really your problem?

• Realize that a sense of humor is deeper than laughter & more satisfying than comedy

• It is more important to have fun than to be funny!

• Only laugh WITH others – not AT others

• Find a humor buddy

• Look for the absurdities in life

• Go to the card aisle & read all of the hilarious cards

• Collect funny books, comics, videos, CDs, DVDs to read or view when you need a laugh – or to share with someone else in need

• Keep a humor diary

• Act goofy

• Don’t take yourself too seriously

• Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up

– Computer screen saver, toys, bubbles, post-it notes, funny poster …

• Check out the newspaper titles, headlines, advertisements for errors

• Put all the “stuff” you collect in a scrapbook

• Hang out with people who have a good sense of humor – it’s contagious

• Cut out comics or humor that make you laugh & place them in strategic places around your home

• Share a good joke with others

• Act like a kid again!

• Keep a humor journal of things you find funny & read it when you are down

• Put on a happy face – even if you don’t feel like it!

• Maintain a positive attitude!

• Plan to use humor

– Encourages openness & flexibility in tense environments or encounters

• Smile

• Take pictures of people, places, animals,

signs, things that make you smile & put

them in your Happiness or Humor Album

• Try spreading laughter around – it is

contagious

• Make a list of your “blessings”

• Create a Bucket List!

• Bring humor in to conversations

• Watch a funny movie or TV show

• Go to a comedy club

• Host a game night with friends

• Go to a “laughter exercise/yoga” class

• Play with a pet or go to the zoo

• Goof around with children

• Have a daily joke or positive affirmation calendar & read it

• Name the office equipment & talk to it• Copy your hand on a copy machine, write on

it “Need a pat on the back? Stand here.” & tape up on a wall

• Provide bubble gum or lollipops at a meeting• Make or buy a magic wand & grant wishes• Take a 5 – 10 minutes humor break every

day• Remind yourself to have fun!

Using humor & laughter in relationships helps you to:

• Be more spontaneous• Let go of defensiveness• Release inhibitions• Express your true feelings• Use common sense

– Sometimes laughter must wait for the right moment

FUNNY BONE HISTORYFUNNY BONE HISTORY

• When was the last time you had a good

laugh?

• What kinds of things make you laugh?

• How often do you laugh?

• How do you feel when you laugh?

• When was the last time you played?

• Uniquely individualized

• Enhances communication

• Fosters a therapeutic relationship

• Helps to reduces stress & pain

• Improves healing

• Bring about feelings of being uplifted or fulfilled

• Useful as a cognitive-behavioral intervention

• Teach perspective by helping clients see realityBennett et al., 2003; Morse, 2007; Strean, 2009; Toda et al., 2007

• Can erase anger & unite families during crisis

• Decreases sense of isolation• No negative effects documented from

research• “Most inexpensive & most effective wonder

drug; a universal medicine” (Bertrand Russell)

• Easily implemented• Cost effective • Use & outcomes need to be documented

• Buy funny greeting cards when you see them & put them in a file – Use for times when colleagues need

cheered up, are to be congratulated or for no reason at all

• Subscribe to an internet humor or laughter site & get daily greetings– * Only if not against work policy– Be careful of the source– Only positive, clean sites for this fun

• Share a laugh/joke a day/week or humor of the day with colleagues

• Bring some of your toys & props to work

• Create a humor bulletin board

• Create & share “inside jokes” because you share a common history

• Use the magic mirror –

– When someone smiles at you, smile back!

• Hold a Laughter Session– 15 minutes– Exercises

• Breathing (in & out)• Smiling • Stretching (playful)• Laughter sounds • Singing

– Greet people around you– Congratulate yourself (clapping)

Linda J. Keilman, DNP, GNP-BCMichigan State University, College of Nursing

517/355-3365keilman@msu.edu