Dose of Optimism #6

Finding laughter in a pandemic

Don’t get us wrong. This pandemic is a serious thing. Deadly serious.  But life hasn’t stopped and that means neither can laughter.  Scan any social channel and you will see plenty of memes and other content that is intended to laugh at the moment and even ourselves. Some are those awkward Larry David kind of laughs and some are plain laugh out loud.  

But, really, is it okay to laugh during a pandemic? 

Hell yeah.

Whether it’s the doctors at the Mayo Clinic or mindfulness legends like Deepak Chopra, everyone agrees that more laughter is good for you. It reduces stress.  It improves your immune system (seriously), not to mention your mood.  That’s a triple shot of medicine to what is ailing a lot of us right now. And the good thing is that laughter is way more replenishable than toilet paper.

So laugh a bit more today… it’s okay.  It’s actually just what the doctor ordered. No joke.

 And with that here is your daily dose of optimism:

Ever heard of a 10-minute laughter mediation? We hadn’t. But now is as good as ever to try it out. (via the Chopra Center)

Yes, there are SO. MANY. MEMES.  But lots of other humor out there too (some better than others). Here is a good list of of some of the funniest jokes that will give you a few laughs. And maybe check out some virtual comedy clubs, including The Social Distancing Social Club, streamed over YouTube by comedians Ben Gleib and friends tonight (and daily) at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT. (via the Vulture and Forbes)

What if the entire world laughed together for one minute? Well today is Sara Baldoni’s birthday and she would love us all to get together on Zoom and do exactly that starting at 7:45 PM ET/4:45 PM PT (but she’ll be happy if you did it anytime today). It’s the perfect birthday ask: no need to send a gift, just give a giggle.

Want to spend a bit of time speaking with people we know will make you smile? Maybe join us for an Optimistic Hangout one day this week. You can sign up here.

That’s your daily dose of optimism for the day. Did you enjoy it?  Then maybe forward it to your family and friends who also could use a dose of optimism.  Have an idea, suggestion or feedback you want to share? Email us here.