Handle stress with a laugh
South nurse advises students to guffaw hardships away
by Meredith Waites, reporter

    Stress can be managed with laughter, and discussing the stress can promote one’s health, a South Campus nurse told students last week.

   Flo Stanton presented Laughing Your Way Through Stress, one of a series of health forums.

   The four main objectives of the presentation demonstrated the benefits of laughter to manage stress, Stanton said.

   Stanton’s objectives were to increase awareness about attitudes and feelings toward laughter, increase knowledge about the benefits of laughter, provide an opportunity for individuals to laugh and promote more laughter in everyday life.

   “We are happy because we laugh. Laughter is a good feeling. It is hope,” she said.

   The presentation, in collaboration with the Women in New Roles program, began with three group-oriented exercises. The students were divided into groups first by the color of their socks, second by the color of their underwear and then by their birth month.

   Stanton said these exercises demonstrated fun and humorous ways to help students relax.

   “It’s important to learn healthy ways to let go,” she said.

   Stanton discussed how different activities are a stress reducer for people and how these activities are important to have. However, she emphasized, some activities are healthy, and some are unhealthy.

   People are at a higher risk of stress when they are working. Stanton said stress can wear down one’s immune system, but laughter increases the immune system.

   “Laughter helps to put things in perspective. It is a great way to deal with stress because it eases tension,” she said.

   Each person received an information packet that contained a stress test, information on laughter, laughter tips, stress busters, a stress diet and an evaluation.

   Stanton discussed that there are limits to what one can laugh at. She also pointed out that joking and laughter are two different things.

   There are two types of laughter, Stanton said. The first is connecting laughter, which is about fun, appropriate topics. The second type is disconnecting laughter, which includes bad jokes about inappropriate issues.

   “It is important to surround yourself with upbeat and positive people whom you can laugh with,” she said.

   Stanton emphasized that people should find things that make them laugh and to do them.

   “Laughter embraces the spirit,” she said.