By Steve Brester for our “99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy” blog series

Laughing out loud has many benefits and it’s an easy thing to do. For one, laughing makes you happy. Let me explain some of the many health benefits and why laughing out loud is so good for you.

• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals.
• Laughing can help reduce stress; we all know that stress is one of your worst enemies.
• Laughter helps you keep a positive attitude. People with positive attitudes are generally healthier.
• Laughing relaxes your muscles.
• Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow.

People like to associate with happy people, including your customers. By laughing out loud you present yourself as a happy person, and others will be more willing to communicate with you.

Learning to laugh at yourself can ease worry or the pressure we put on ourselves. If you make a mistake, don’t beat yourself up over it; instead think about what you did and then file it away in your mind. You can be a positive example for your staff when you learn to laugh at yourself and demonstrate how you have overcome the mistake and moved on.

We often wish we could be happy like children are. Laughter is a big part of this. One study has shown that children laugh an average of 400 times a day, while adults only laugh an average of 15 times a day. Bring back some of that happiness by finding more occasions to laugh out loud. Share that joy – you will be surprised at how much happiness you bring to others just by laughing. It’s an easy way to build morale and camaraderie in your store by simply sharing an amusing story or situation.

Usually something that delivers this many benefits is very expensive, but laughing out loud costs you nothing.

Steve is a member of the Hamacher management team and owner's group, and oversees all activities within the IT department including operations, development, network and desktop support. He works closely with each department to help identify their software and hardware requirements, then makes sure his team provides the necessary support to fulfill those requirements.