Use humor as a coping method
It’s easy to find the well-adjusted seniors in your life – they’re the ones who haven’t lost their sense of humor.
Paul E. McGhee, a Wilmington, Del., professional speaker and president of “The Laugh Remedy,” can spot them in an instant.
They’re the multiple sclerosis patient with hand tremors who quips: “It’s really not so bad: I never have to stir my coffee anymore.”
They’re the legally blind senior who has a T-shirt made up that reads: “For a real blind date, call Tom.”
They’re the terminally ill elder who suddenly starts cracking jokes like: “Did you hear about the guy who bowled three hundred and one?”
“Three hundred and one,” you say, “That’s impossible.”
“Well, did you ever see anyone who bowled three hundred and lost?”
These folks, McGhee says, often seem younger than their peers.
“They’ve got to deal with the same sources of pain, the hassles about getting to the bathroom,” he says. “The fact that they keep that playful spirit alive is a strong indication that they’re coping better with it.”
McGhee will speak twice in Spokane this week, at the Inland Northwest Senior Wellness Conference Thursday at Spokane Community College, and at a Friday seminar at Spokane Falls Community College. He’ll address the importance of strengthening your sense of humor as you age.
“Cancer patients tell me, ‘If it weren’t for my sense of humor, I wouldn’t have survived the treatments, let alone the disease,’ ” he says. “I hear the same thing from seniors.”
McGhee, who has a doctorate in developmental psychology from Ohio State University, studied humor as a researcher.
He points to studies that show laughter enhances the body’s immune system and even improves cardiac health.
And he prescribes eight steps to recovering your sense of humor, ranging from cultivating a playful attitude, to forcing a stronger belly laugh, to playing with language and joke-telling.
The ultimate goal is to learn to laugh at yourself and use humor as a strong coping tool.
“If you’re someone who has more laughter and humor built into your life, then you’re creating a frame of body awareness as well as a frame of mind,” he says. “That’s more health promoting.”
Tickets to the Senior Wellness Conference, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the SCC Lair, Building 6, are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.
Tickets to the Friday seminar, 8:30 a.m. to noon, at SFCC’s Student Union Building 17, conference rooms A and B, are $15.
Call 326-1471 for more information.