You humans need to lighten up. Sure, life poses many serious challenges, but you awfulize way too much. Find the humor in daily life. Take it from me, Ron Tickles, there is no better comedy than watching humans and their pets right at home. Besides being great fun, laughter ranks as one of the best remedies for easing stress.

Every day presents new occasions for giggles, snorts and snickers. You just have to look for them. Like many dogs, I live with a family – Mom, Dad, Junior, two cats and a hamster. Here are just a few examples of the comical things they do in their daily lives.

Dinner Time

It’s obligatory that Junior sneaks his serving of kale (or broccoli or green beans or spinach) under the dinner table for me to eat. I don’t mind; I eat just about anything. However, I chuckle when Dad also slips his serving of kale under the table — to avoid an argument with Mom. Even funnier is when Mom secretly scrapes the remaining kale on her plate into the garbage disposal before she retreats into the pantry for a bite of dark chocolate.

Exercise

Every New Year’s rings in a new exercise machine. For the first three weeks of the year, Mom, Dad and Junior huff and puff on the latest version of their pet hamster’s wheel. Although it’s a hoot to watch the hamster exert so much effort to go nowhere, it’s even more amusing to watch the humans go nowhere even faster. Predictably, after a few months, the new exercise machine joins the retired treadmills, ellipticals and stationary bicycles lined up in the basement corner near the washer. At least those exercise machines make great clothes hangers.

Cat Race

Never willing to let sleeping cats lie, I tickle the younger male kitten on his tummy. This triggers a chain of reactions just like the old game of Mouse Trap™. First the kitten arches his back after awakening abruptly. Then he paws the older female cat who hisses in return. Soon they chase around the house in a fury. During their hot pursuit, they knock down the hamster cage, unlatching its door. Seeing his chance to get off that silly wheel, the hamster scurries out to roam the house. When Mom arrives home, she screams because she thinks the hamster is a mouse. Dad looks for a mouse trap until Junior notices the hamster cage door is ajar. Then the whole family chases through the house to capture the hamster, who wants nothing to do with that ridiculous hamster wheel. Not even a stand-up comedian could write better material.

How you View it

You can look at most life situations as the dog dish half empty or half amusing. Mental-health professionals love to complicate this basic fact with theories like CBT, DBT, and ACT, when all you need is a little FUN. Next time you feel stressed, depressed or crossed, try to glean some humor in the situation. If you find this difficult, watch a funny YouTube video. Then study the situation again. You may often find that the situation isn’t so bad, and you might even figure out a few solutions, which of course will help in easing stress.

Psychologist and “Cheerman of the Bored,” Steve Wilson, founded the World Laughter Tour, an organization devoted to promoting physical and mental health by living more positively. On its website you can search for local Certified Laughter Leaders who lead individual or group laughter sessions, a great complement to traditional psychotherapy. If you really want to humor others, you can seek training to become a Certified Laughter Leader yourself.

So here are my tips for easing stress.

1. Lighten up. Find the humor in every day life.
2. Unless you truly like it, ditch the kale, and opt for other nutritious foods like dark chocolate.
3. Get off those silly hamster-wheel exercise machines and visit a dog park. Not only will you get great exercise, you will have great fun watching the dogs in those ridiculous collars that their owners make them wear.
4. Most importantly, stir up a little trouble now and then.

Ruff . . . there scampers a real mouse. Time to rouse the cats.

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Stress and anxiety are common experiences for most people. In fact, 70% of adults in the United States say they feel stress or anxiety daily.

Here are 16 simple ways to relieve stress and anxiety.

Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to combat stress.

It might seem contradictory, but putting physical stress on your body through exercise can relieve mental stress.

The benefits are strongest when you exercise regularly. People who exercise regularly are less likely to experience anxiety than those who don’t exercise (1).

There are a few reasons behind this:

• Stress hormones: Exercise lowers your body’s stress hormones — such as cortisol — in the long run. It also helps release endorphins, which are chemicals that improve your mood and act as natural painkillers.
• Sleep: Exercise can also improve your sleep quality, which can be negatively affected by stress and anxiety.
• Confidence: When you exercise regularly, you may feel more competent and confident in your body, which in turn promotes mental wellbeing.
• Try to find an exercise routine or activity you enjoy, such as walking, dancing, rock climbing or yoga.

Activities — such as walking or jogging — that involve repetitive movements of large muscle groups can be particularly stress relieving.

Regular exercise can help lower stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins and improving your sleep and self-image.

Several supplements promote stress and anxiety reduction. Here is a brief overview of some of the most common ones:

• Lemon balm: Lemon balm is a member of the mint family that has been studied for its anti-anxiety effects ( 2 ).
• Omega-3 fatty acids: One study showed that medical students who received omega-3 supplements experienced a 20% reduction in anxiety symptoms ( 3 ).
• Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is an herb used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat stress and anxiety. Several studies suggest that it’s effective ( 4 ).
• Green tea: Green tea contains many polyphenol antioxidants which provide health benefits. It may lower stress and anxiety by increasing serotonin levels ( 5 ).
• Valerian: Valerian root is a popular sleep aid due to its tranquilizing effect. It contains valerenic acid, which alters gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors to lower anxiety.
• Kava kava: Kava kava is a psychoactive member of the pepper family. Long used as a sedative in the South Pacific, it is increasingly used in Europe and the US to treat mild stress and anxiety ( 6 ).

Some supplements can interact with medications or have side effects, so you may want to consult with a doctor if you have a medical condition.

Certain supplements can reduce stress and anxiety, including ashwagandha, omega-3 fatty acids, green tea and lemon balm.

Stress can creep up on us in different ways. Students pursuing graduate degrees in health sciences especially have to deal with a lot of stress balancing rigorous classes, work and their personal lives. While stress is a normal part of life, we want to mitigate it where we can so that we keep a healthy mindset.

Laughter is a natural medicine that can improve your mood, strengthen your immune system and even combat stress. From the stress of finals to anxiety from work, we all could use a little more laughter in our lives. Below are research-backed ways laughter can help relieve stress, plus an infographic with ten creative ways to add more laughter into your life.

Scientifically Proven Ways Laughter Can Relieve Stress

The health benefits of laughter cited by researchers are plenty. From boosting your immune system to increasing endorphins to your brain, below are scientifically proven ways a giggle can help you combat stress and increase your physical and mental health.

Physical health benefits

• Stimulates your organs: When you laugh, you take in more oxygen-rich air. This stimulates your lungs, heart and muscles.
• Relaxes your muscles: When you get stressed, your body tenses up and can cause you to feel stuck. A good laugh can relieve physical tension in the body and relax the muscles for up to 45 minutes.
• Improves cardiac health: Laughing increases your heart rate and the amount of oxygen in your blood. This can improve vascular function and decrease the risk of heart attacks.
• Boosts immune system: When you’re stressed, negative thoughts can turn into chemical reactions that decrease your immunity to sickness. When you laugh, you adopt a positive mindset that can release infection-fighting antibodies and neuropeptides that help fight stress.
• Lowers blood pressure: Laughter releases endorphins that counteract the negative effects of stress hormones—lowering your blood pressure as a result.
• Helps with weight loss: A common side effect of chronic stress is weight gain. Laughing not only reduces the stress hormones that cause weight gain, but it also burns calories.

Mental health benefits

• Provides distraction: When you laugh, you aren’t thinking about that assignment that is overdue or the big final you have coming up next week. Laughter provides your brain with a break from the worrying thoughts that cause stress.
• Improves your mood: Nothing squashes a bad mood quite like a good laugh. Laughing produces a general sense of well-being and can diffuse the anger and depression you were once feeling.
• Reduces stress hormones: Cortisol is our primary stress hormone that circulates throughout the body when you’re feeling stressed. Laughter can decrease cortisol levels by increasing your intake of oxygen and stimulating circulation throughout the body.
• Increases endorphins: Endorphins are those “feel-good” chemicals produced by your brain that help boost happiness levels. Laughing increases the number of endorphins released in your body, fighting off stress and promoting a positive mood.
• Strengthens relationships: A shared laugh with friends, family or a coworker can help you feel more connected to that person and form a strong and lasting bond. Humor is also a powerful way to heal past disagreements or resentments.

10 Ways to Add More Laughter to Your Life

With all the seriousness that school and work bring, we tend to forget how important it is to make time for laughter. From hosting a game night to trying out a new hobby like laughter yoga, below are ten ways to promote laughter in your life.

1. Follow a funny meme account: There’s a reason funny memes go viral. They make people laugh! Follow some funny meme accounts to put a smile on your face every time you hop on social media.
2. Create a Pinterest board: Start a Pinterest board full of things that make you laugh, like quotes or hilarious pictures. Next time you find something on the internet that makes you smile, pin it to your board so you can look at it next time you’re feeling stressed.
3. Spend time with pets: Pets, such as dogs and cats, are a source of laughter and joy for many people. If you don’t have a pet, consider asking a friend to pet-sit theirs or volunteer at an animal shelter in your free time.
4. Listen to a funny podcast: On your way to work or school, listen to a funny podcast to start your day off with a laugh.
5. Try laughter yoga: Laughter yoga is a new take on yoga that encourages prolonged voluntary laughter. Try out a class by yourself or take it with a friend next time you’re feeling stressed.
6. Laugh at yourself: Learning to laugh at yourself is one of the best ways you can add more laughter into your life. Next time you do something that would otherwise upset you, try to find the positive in the situation.
7. Alter your environment: Your environment can play a huge part in your mood. Reshape your work or study area to include things that make you smile, like a picture with friends from a funny night out, or a photo of your dog in a hilarious costume.
8. Host a game night: Nothing beats a shared laugh. Invite some friends over for a game night and play party-style games like Charades or Apples to Apples.
9. Watch YouTube videos: Need a quick laugh? Head to YouTube. Search anything from jumping cats to funny clips from your favorite show for a fast and easy pick-me-up.
10. Spend time with playful people: We tend to be influenced by the people we hang around. Make an effort to hang out more with the funniest friend in your circle. Ask them to get coffee or lunch and talk about the silly things that happened in your day.

Whether you’re stressed about finals or your current workload, making an effort to engage in some of the above activities and laugh a little can help mitigate any excess stress. Participating in some of these activities doesn’t take long. If you only have five minutes, watch a funny YouTube video. If you have a free night this week, consider having friends over for a game night.

Whichever way you choose to add more laughter into your life, maintaining a healthy mindset is important for grad students. Take a look at our infographic below for more tips on how to relieve stress with a little bit of laughter.

I am a firm believer in the power of laughter, especially when trying to fight against the negative effects of stress. Stress is everywhere, some of it is even good for you.

When the not-so-good stress hits repeatedly and the body is not given an opportunity to recover from it, a condition known as chronic stress is developed.

Studies have indicated untreated chronic stress leads to a variety of mental and physical issues, including depression, anxiety, weakened immune system, heart disease, muscle pain, high blood pressure, and countless more ailments and diseases (APA, 2015).

According to The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2015), chronic diseases are responsible for approximately seven out of every ten deaths in the United States. Nothing to laugh about there, right?

Not really, but those harsh facts are the best reasons ever to find ways to laugh on a regular basis, as well as learning how to manage the chronic stress that is likely making you sick.

Laughter is my main focus as a stress management consultant and there are several reasons. First and foremost, it is free.

You do not have to pay someone else in order to have a good laugh. Second, and really this is more like a tie for first, there are actual physical and emotional benefits from laughter, no joke! Laughter has both short-term and long-term effects on the body and mind.

The immediate effects of laughter activate and relieve the stress response, the intake of oxygen during laughter stimulates internal organs, and the relieving of the stress response leaves one with a euphoric feeling (Mayo Clinic, 2013).

If that is not reason enough to start laughing today, the long-term effects should tickle you. The long-term effects are a direct result of the immediate effects of laughter.

Controlling the stress response, increasing the intake of oxygen-rich air, and releasing endorphins in the brain lead to effective management of stress.

The immune system can strengthen, one’s overall mood can improve, pain can be eased, and personal satisfaction with life can be increased all with the power of laughter.

Of course the only way to prove me wrong is by trying it. So go ahead, bring laughter into your life intentionally and on a regular basis. Have a good, hard, belly laugh — the kind that leaves your cheeks and ribs sore and a tears in your eyes — at least once a day.

Try it for a month. If, after a month of laughing every day, you do not feel the positive effects, then come back here and tell us. That is my challenge to everyone who is dealing with more stress than they care to mention!

There is no excuse not to try either, because if you are reading this article you have access to absolutely every type of humor you can imagine right at your finger tips. Slapstick, gross-out, stand-up, improve; whatever makes you laugh, all you have to do is type it in the search bar of your browser.

It is that easy! As a parent you will also be modeling healthy stress management for your children on a level they will readily understand, and who doesn’t like that?

Disclaimer: This article is purely informative & educational in nature and should not be construed as medical advice. Please use the content only in consultation with an appropriate certified medical or healthcare professional.

Relax. You deserve it, it’s good for you, and it takes less time than you think.