Therese Borchard: 9 Ways Humor Heals

Of all my tools to combat depression and negativity, humor is by far the most fun. And just like mastering the craft of writing, I'm finding that the longer I practice laughing at life--and especially it's frustrations--the better I become at it, and the more situations and conversations and complications I can place into that category named "silly."

G. K. Chesterton once wrote: "Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly." And Proverbs 17:22 says that "a happy heart is good medicine." I'd add that human beings can heal (at least partially!) from a host of different illnesses if they learn how to laugh. Here are just a few ways our bodies, minds, and spirits begin to mend with a dose of humor.

1.Humor combats fear.

I know this first hand, having sat in a community room of a psych ward watching a video of a comedian poke fun at depression. Like everyone else occupying a chair in that room, I was scared to death. Of many things ... That I would never smile again. Or love again. Or even WANT to love again. I was fearful of life, and everything it involved....