TRY VIDEO THERAPY
Tickling your funny bone can make the rest of you feel better.
BY:MARY ELIZABETH TERZELLA
Feeling discouraged? Watch Bringing Up Baby. According to a recent study, letting a comedy tickle your funny bone can brighten your outlook. Subjects who viewed a 15-minute comedy video felt twice as hopeful (as measured by the Snyder Hope Scale) as those who didn’t get a chance to chuckle.
Though it’s hard to be upbeat when life is throwing you nothing but curveballs, humor seems to inspire hope. “Laughing may inhibit negative thoughts,” says researcher David H. Rosen, MD, McMillan professor of analytic psychology at Texas A&M University. A positive state of mind also may give you the courage to confront challenges. “Feeling more optimistic may increase people’s confidence that they can deal with problems,” explains Dr. Rosen, author of Transforming Depression: Healing the Soul Through Creativity.
For a guaranteed guffaw, check out the American Film’s Institute’s “100 Funniest American Movies of All Time” at:
www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/laughs.aspx