This post was coauthored by CMC student Carly Kirsch.

Workplaces are often stress-inducing. What can be done to lighten the work stress-load? Humor is one antidote.

There is good evidence that laughter has positive physiological and psychological effects on people. For example, laughter lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol and can increase the “feel good” hormone of dopamine. Interestingly, while a child can laugh up to 300 times a day, the typical 40-year-old adult laughs only about four times a day (Gerloff, 2011). No wonder workplace stress is such a problem.

Laughter and humor in the workplace also can have positive effects on how an individual is perceived........

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