Victor Borge once said, “Laughter is the closest distance between two people.” We often take life and work so seriously and forget that the one thing we can all share together is a good laugh. Of course, there are many scientific reasons to do so, like elevating your levels of healthy hormones—dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin—the same hormones that make us feel bonded to one another. But I dare say, more importantly, it just makes us feel good. Laughter is that one thing that says ‘hey, we are human after all.’ Even the most trying circumstances can often be met with humor.
In their book, Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life, authors Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas found five themes that humor provides: boldness, authenticity, presence, joy, and love. Humor helps to alleviate negativity quicker, lower tensions, and even makes us more comfortable with taking risks; it helps us express ourselves as who we really are, finding joy, instead of worrying about what other people think; it helps us find the hidden truths in each moment; it helps put a smile on someone’s face, finding lost joy; and it opens our heart to generously share a laugh with someone we love. Go ahead—take a chance and unleash a little laughter…I promise that is one cocktail of healthy hormones that will make your day!