When was the last time you roared with laughter? When you giggled so hard it made your belly ache? Are you smiling just thinking about it?
Laughter creates joy, it has healing powers, it leaves lasting memories. It just feels so good! Laughter’s ability to draw people together make it the perfect tool for anyone seeking to form deeper, more lasting connections with others.
Wondering how to bring more laughter to your life? You don’t have to have a bevy of knock-knock jokes in your hip pocket to engage in more laughter. Give these simple ideas a try:
- Find a funny friend. Right off the top of my head, I can think of some of very funny people who have been influential in my life. Lisa, my college roommate whose constant humor has been making me snort with laughter for more than 30 years. David, a former colleague who is certainly the “punniest” man alive – he could turn any conversation (and, I mean ANY conversation) into a pun-fest that had us all rolling with laughter. My now departed Uncle Jerry who used to tell me that his real name was “Uncle Jelly Bean and [he] is very, very mean!” When I think of the humor and fun that these individuals have brought to my life, I can’t help but smile. By surrounding yourself with funny people, you will surely be enveloped with laughter. Find a funny friend or two, spend a little time with them, giggle, repeat.
- Seek out some good humor on social sites. I know, I know, social media can take us down a rabbit hole – and can sometimes (okay, oft times) be a downer. Go with me on this one. Find a comedian or a satirist whose humor you enjoy, someone whose work is uplifting, and follow them on Twitter, YouTube or another of your favorite social sites. By way of example, I love John Krasinki’s 2020 web series “Some Good News,” and I always get in a good laugh when Stephen Colbert tweets from @StephenAtHome.
- Simply smile. Though a smile is not a laugh, it’s a fact that smiling offers powerful health benefits. By being intentional about smiling more often you are welcoming in others who are longing for a smile… good cheer and good tidings are sure to follow. As such, think of a smile as the opening line to lots of laughter.
There are many ways to incorporate laughter into your life. The more intentionality you have for it, the more you’ll be laughing your way through all the twists and turns that you encounter. So, connect with others and laugh a lot. It’ll be good for you both!
Happy Networking!