Bill Cosby has been known to say “If you can laugh at it, you can survive it” With today’s economic down turn many people may need a good laugh to get a break from the stress of the day. Humor is a great way to reduce the unwanted effects of stress.

Many of us feel awkward joking about the losses we have taken on our 401k or other stock investments. It is hard to find anything funny about the number of houses being foreclosed in this country. Many may even consider it inappropriate or insensitive to joke about it. However when we laugh at difficult situations it tends to make them a little easier to deal with. Many cancer patients use humor to deal with there physical situation and feel better.

It has been known scientifically that the best thing you can do is to provide a humorous environment and “forget” about the stressful situation for a while. Sitting around and dwelling on the situation will not help much and will make you feel worse.

One characteristic of the person who does well during tough times is the ability to often put the stressful situation in the background for periods of time. A good laugh is a great way to escape the current situation without the use of drugs or alcohol.

Watch a funny movie or stand up comedy video clip go to a comedy club and you will get a nice escape from your problems. Laughing has physical and mental benefits as well. Studies show that laughter is a effective way to combat stress and improve blood flow. Just as the doctors on Mash used practical jokes to deal with stress we can do the same. Play a practical joke on a friend or co-worker and you will both get a welcome relief from the problems of the day.

There are a number of web sites that offer some good clean practical jokes if you need some ideas. With a little humor and laughter we will survive the current economic situation and prove once again that Cosby was right when he said “If you can laugh at it you can survive it”.

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