Laughter in our life: the mirthful medicine chest

LAUGHTER IN OUR LIFE: THE MIRTHFUL MEDICINE CHEST

If you wait for something funny to happen to lift your spirits and lengthen your life, you may be frowning a long time. In these serious times, you have to be proactive about soliciting joyfulness, says Dr. Lee Berk of Loma Linda University School of Medicine. "You have to push your behavior," he says. "When you do, your brain chemistry will change and your emotions will follow."
For just such down-in-the-dumps situations, he suggests keeping a well-stocked arsenal of laugh-makers on hand. His humor apothecary would include:
* A joke book. Anything by Dave Barry or Rodney Dangerfield. But really, select the humor that humors you.
* A collection of comedy videos, such as any of Robin Williams's live performances. But again, it's your call.
* Funny films. Once again, the choice is yours. Dark humor like The War of the Roses might fit the bill on certain occasions, while National Lampoon's Animal House or the Marx Brothers golden oldies could elicit guffaws on others.
* A little red clown's nose. For real. Go buy one at a costume shop. Put it on and look in the mirror. If that doesn't crack you up, nothing will. As for wearing it in public, we take no responsibility for the repercussions.
* Mad magazine. Is there a man alive who secretly or quite publicly did not go through pre-and post-adolescence reading the borders of Mad behind his biology textbook? And, now more than ever, we could all learn from Alfred E. Neuman's motto: "What, me worry?"

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GENERAL HEALTH

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