Use Laughter to Improve Your Perspective. When the going gets tough, it is difficult to see the end of your troubles. You tend to focus on everything that is wrong with your life. If you can find one element of your situation to which you can apply humor, it can lighten the moment and give you a totally new perspective. One cancer survivor recalled how she used to dance up and down the hospital hallways with the pole carrying her chemotherapy to the delight of other patients. Another recalled inflating latex gloves and writing notes to her doctor, then placing them in unexpected places in the doctor’s office to surprise him.

 

Acknowledge Character Flaws. In a classroom situation, a student may perceive that a teacher is displaying favoritism to another student. This perception on the student’s part may tarnish how the teacher’s character is viewed, which can hinder the student’s involvement and performance in the class. To redeem the relationship, the teacher must respond to student concerns and acknowledge any wrong behavior. For instance, when a teacher begins class by saying, “I need to apologize for confusing messages,” students may better understand the teacher’s commitment to the class. That increased understanding improves the learning process because the teacher’s words become redemptive.

 

Change Your Thought Patterns. Watch children or animals at play. Turn on a funny movie or read a collection of your favorite cartoons. When I was recovering from breast cancer and I felt down, I would either watch Pretty Woman or When Harry Met Sally. Those two movies constantly cheered me up. You need to make a conscious effort to find ways to break the pattern of negative thinking.

 

Know the Difference Between a Need and a Want. Students may perceive they absolutely need certain tools to be successful in the classroom, when, in fact, they only want them. For instance, students may complain that they are unable to score high on tests because the teacher does not use outlines or PowerPoint presentations. They may feel they need material presented in this format to succeed. A five-minute lesson from the teacher on good note-taking skills and how they are linked to class activities and lectures can help students see that PowerPoint slides were a want, not a need. Once students gain that understanding, they may pursue learning with a renewed motivation.

 

Learn to Be Playful. Adults, just like children, need time to play. At some point in our childhoods we are conditioned to control our laughter and our smiles. Just because we get older, we do not have to stop playing. When I taught nursing students, I used to go to class on test days and sprinkle students with good luck sparkles. My supervisor told me I should stop because students might think that all you had to do was wave a magic wand to get good grades. She was someone who had lost the ability to be playful.

 

Know How to Make Yourself Laugh. Identify what makes you laugh and surround yourself with whatever that may be. Start a collection of cartoons or wacky childhood toys that will make you smile or laugh. When my husband died, a friend sent me a small toy that stuck its tongue out whenever it was squeezed. That toy became my constant companion. I carried it around in my purse and it never failed to make me smile.

 

Smile and Laugh as Much as Possible. There is scientific and medical research on the ability of laughter to reduce stress and positively affect hypertension and cardiac problems. Research has shown that simply moving your face muscles to form a smile may make you physically feel better. In my work as a Laughter Leader, people have told me they feel better, they feel more natural, and they notice a difference when they smile. —Nancy Grund

 

 

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