By Stuart Overlin, NurseZone
contributor
Ellie Katz, Ph.D., RN, is conducting a seminar on a
biochemical process, one that holds enormous potential in healing the body and
mind. But she’s not lecturing, and none of her students are taking notes.
Instead, the 40 or so adults in this class are—well, they’re throwing
marshmallows at each other and laughing hysterically. Katz, a registered nurse
and psychologist who describes herself as "the world’s first playologist,"
has been an authority on how laughter and play affect our minds and bodies for
more than 20 years.
"Stress is the big killer in our society. But on the
other hand you have laughter, which causes you to breathe deeply. They call it
‘internal jogging’ because of the workout it gives your heart and
lungs," Katz said. "Play also stimulates the right side of the brain,
the creative side. It ignites spontaneity and leads to creativity and taking
risks."
Katz also pointed to a wide body of clinical evidence that laughter
strengthens the immune system, lowers blood pressure and decreases stress
hormones. According to an article in a 2001 issue of Healing Magazine,
ongoing research is exploring a possible link between laughter and pain relief.
According to Katz, laughter is an instinctive response with
obvious emotional benefits. It makes us feel more relaxed, less anxious or
angry. Yet the connection between laughter and healing was only recently
popularized by Norman Cousins, former editor of Saturday Review magazine.
In his 1979 bestseller "Anatomy of a Disease," Cousins described how a
steady diet of Marx Brothers movies and vitamin C injections helped him overcome
ankylosing spondylitis, a degenerative rheumatoid arthritis of the spine.
Since the mid-1990s, dozens of laughter clubs have sprung up
in the United States. Instead of actual comedy, which is subjective, many of
these clubs rely on group laughing exercises. But Katz, whose favorite form of
comedy is "just watching people," appreciates the sheer joy of
laughing and playing. She is full of quips, such as her widely quoted one-liner
"WARNING: Humor may be hazardous to your illness."
Katz began her nursing career in her native New York City,
eventually becoming an Army nurse. After World War II, she used her G.I. Bill
benefits to obtain a master’s degree in art. She later earned a doctorate in
psychology and designed adventure playgrounds for children. Since becoming a
playologist, Katz has written books on the subject and appeared on TV talk
shows. She has also conducted a number of corporate seminars aimed at enhancing
productivity through the use of laughter and play. A San Diego resident for more
than 40 years, Katz still maintains her nursing credentials.
Although the humor therapy movement has its share of skeptics,
laughter has entered the mainstream medical community, according to author
Robert Provine in his book, "Laughter: A Scientific Investigation."
"Humor carts" full of joke books, gags and other funny materials make
the rounds in many hospitals today. The Los Angeles Times recently featured a
story on Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier, California, which has
gone a step further and created its own clown school. Graduates are sent to
visit patients in the pediatric ward, emergency room and critical care unit. Not
only is laughter important for patients, Katz explained, but it also helps
caregivers cope with stress on the job.
Upbeat and healthy, Ellie Katz is testimony to the benefits of
a lighthearted approach to life.
"Before the age of five, we have incredible gifts—curiosity,
imagination and a sense of play," she said. "As we become adults,
these qualities are given up for what I call ‘approvalitis.’ We do things we
don’t want to do, just for the approval of others. We become uncomfortable
with play. I’m a grown-up, but I have this child inside of me. My first
commandment is ‘Thou shalt not commit adulthood.’ "
Related stories:
Humor:
An Antidote for Stress
Stress:
Knowing the Enemy Within
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