A study from 2000 details yet another benefit of humor / laughter:
“Laughter, along with an active sense of humor, may help you protect yourself against a heart attack.”
The study surveyed 300 people, half of which had heart problems and half of which had no history of heart disease. The people who had suffered a heart attack or had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.
Other interesting notes / quotes from the study include:
- “People with heart disease were less likely to recognize humor or use it to get out of uncomfortable situations.”
- “The old saying that ‘laughter is the best medicine,’ definitely appears to be true when it comes to protecting your heart.”
- “The recommendation for a healthy heart may one day be–exercise, eat right and laugh a few times a day.”
For a dose of laughter medicine, check out some of the web’s best office humor.
Source: Laughter is Good for Your Heart by Barbara Crawford. University of Maryland Medical Center. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
According to an article on Canadian Online Explorer, children laugh up to 25 times more per day than adults. I think it’s about time we take that back! To get started, check out some office humor and have yourself a chuckle.
Other interesting facts from the article:
- Adults laugh, on average, 15 times per day compared to kids who laugh up to 400 times.
- People who study laughter are called gelotologists.
- The muscle relaxation that comes with laughter can last up to 45 minutes after the laughing has subsided.
- Laughter may also lead to better memory as it speeds up the heartbeat and sends more blood to the brain.
Source: Ha! Laughing is Good for You! by Amy Toffelmire. Canoe.ca, Retrieved April 1, 2009.
A study of executives shared in the Harvard Business Review showed a positive correlation of an executive’s pay to the number of times they used humor. The study, shared in the article Laughing All the Way to the Bank, looked at senior executives at a large corporation and measured them on their use of humor, and then analyzed their compensation.
Some highlights from the article:
- “Humor, used skillfully, greases the management wheels. It reduces hostility, deflects criticism, relieves tension, improves morale, and helps communicate difficult messages.” (page 1)
- “The executives who had been ranked as outstanding used humor more than twice as often as average executives, a mean of 17.8 times per hour compared with 7.5 times per hour….The size of their bonuses correlated positively with their use of humor during the interview.” (page 1)
- “Superior leaders share a set of emotional-intelligence characteristics, chief among them high self-awareness and an exceptional ability to empathize. These qualities are critical to managers’ effective use of humor.” (page 2)
Source: Laughing All the Way to the Bank by Fabio Sala. Harvard Business Review, September 2003.
