Canadians and Americans, from health care professionals to scholars to giggling grade schoolers, will be brushing up on the benefits of belly laughs this April in celebration of National Humor Month.
|
|
National Humor Monthwas founded in 1976 by best-selling humorist Larry Wilde, Director of The Carmel Institute of Humor. It is designed to heighten public awareness on how the joy and therapeutic value of laughter can improve health, boost morale, increase communication skills and enrich the quality of one's life. "Since April is often bleak and grim and taxes are due on the 15th, it can be one of the most stressful times of the year," says Wilde, author of 53 books on the subject of humor. "Besides," adds Wilde, "it's the only month that begins with All Fool's Day -- a day which has sanctioned frivolity and pranks ever since the 1500's."
The idea of laughing and the use of humor as a tool to lift ailing spirits is growing. Scientific research now indicates that the curative power of laughter and its ability to relieve debilitating stress and burnout may indeed be one of the great medical discoveries of our times. In his book Anatomy of An Illness, author Norman Cousins cited laughter as an effective tool for promoting the healing process. In Cousins' words, "Laughter is internal jogging".
