Today, March 19th, marks National Let’s Laugh Day. As we all know, life can get very stressful at times. Stress can come in both positive and negative forms, even though most people identify stress as an obstructive factor in their daily or life-long activities. This type of distress tends to cause anxiety and decrease performance along with causing other problems. Distress can range from just overscheduling or as extreme as death of a loved ones. However, Eustress [also known as positive stress] can improve performance, cause excitement and be a critical motivational factor. Examples of positive stress include: starting a new job, receiving a promotion or planning a vacation. Whether it is good stress or bad stress, we must always remember to laugh!!!
The popular phrase states, “Laughter is the cheapest medicine”, and more than millions around the world agree with it. Believe it or not, there are many health benefits associated with laughter. Some hearty laughter can reduce blood pressure, increase immunity awareness in the body, boost your heart rate, and burn calories!! Many people also tend to gravitate to those who are light-hearted and laugh often. Therefore, a simple smile is an easy way to make a new friend or win over a client.
As we all know, life can get crazy and all sorts alike at any moment. Whether you have a test that you’re nervous about or have multiple meetings scheduled in one day… you’ll feel like you’re simply wearing away. With that being said you almost remember to step back for a moment, take a deep breath, clear your mind, and LAUGH!!!
Ways to get a hearty laugh in today and everyday:
- Grab a coffee with friends and share some funny stories
- Watch a comedy movie or sitcom [Saturday Night Live or Bridemaidsare my personal favorites]
- Go to a comedy club
- Go bowling, play mini golf, play laser tag
- Read some comics or google some funny jokes/riddles
- AND always surround yourself with a group of people who make you smile
Life can get tough at times, making it difficult to get through daily activities. When this happens just take a minute to google a funny animal video or ask a friend for his or her best joke… no better time to do it then on #nationalletslaughday !!
Jaclyn Riefenhauser
SBDC Intern
The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center
#sbdc #scranton #nepa #laughitup #smilemore
image adapted from freepik.com