Humor fights stress

Happy, Happy New Year, everyone! Some pessimists foresee a lot of problems coming up. But don't worry, be happy.

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Finally it's 2010. A friend of mine pronounces its two-0-10. No pun intended.

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The year of the ox is out, gone, kaput! It was a year full of oxidents -- on land, air and sea.

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So it's election year. One radioman said: "I hope this will be a year of promise." It's not only a year of promise but of promides.

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A priest I know says he has a lovelife to speak of. "Mahal ko si Kristo, hindi si Kristie," he says.

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"I'm reminded of Pacman who is romantically linked to one Krista, a starlet. A question might be asked of Pacman: "Mahal mo ba sad si Kristo?"

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There is a seminary in Metro Manila where the seminarians are already professionals -- engineers, doctors, accountants, teachers, business executives, etc. They were already earning well. But they could not turn a deaf ear to the call for them to serve the Lord as priests.

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There is such a thing as humor therapy. Heard of it? Research has shown health benefits of laughter ranging from strengthening the immune system to reducing food cravings to increasing one's threshold of pain.

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This according to Elizabeth Scott, M.S., who wrote an article ("The Laughing Cure") about laughter/humor in a recent issue of "Healthy Options," a lifestyle newsdigest.

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Among other things, Ms. Scott said humor is a fighter against stress. It is her all-time favorite stress management strategies because it is free, convenient, and beneficial in so many ways.

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"Instead of complaining about life's frustrations," Ms. Scott wrote, "try to laugh about them. If something is so frustrating or depressing it's ridiculous, realize that you could 'look back on it and laugh.'''

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