A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

—Bible, Proverbs 17:22

A patient walks into a clinic, terribly anxious.

Patient: Nurse! Please help me! I am shrinking. I am losing an inch of height every few minutes!

Nurse: Sorry, the team is on their way to an emergency. You’re just going to have to be a little patient.

In the 1970s, word spread that Norman Cousins, a journalist, had markedly improved his symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis through the use of humor.¹ He watched Marx Brother’s movies regularly and found that they did much to improve his pain. Ultimately, his book, Anatomy of an Illness, did a lot to spark interest in the healing benefits of humor and laughter.

This tool focuses on humor and laughter and their effects on health. Keep them in mind as you help people create their Personal Health Plans. Bringing humor into patient care, when appropriate, can help your patients in many ways. It can also make your work more enjoyable and fulfilling.²