Watching Seinfeld with your friends and loved ones could do wonders for your career

Jerry Seinfeld has brought laughter to billions by finding humor in the ordinary and mundane through his stand-up comedy and legendary TV show, Seinfeld.  Merely saying his name brings a smile to one’s face just because of his comedic gifts.  The laughter he provides could be a boon to your career.

The Washington Post, “Laughter may help ease blood pressure, boost mood and enrich health in other ways”, on October 24, 2011,  highlights research that supports the many benefits of laughter, including boosting mood and reducing stress and depression.

A new study from Oxford University also shows that laughter  increases one’s endorphin levels and generates chemicals in the brain that actually make you feel good.  In the Oxford experiments, people watched comedy sitcoms and live stand-up, both alone and group settings.  The laughter  generated for necessary health benefits was 30 times as common when a person was in a social setting as opposed to being alone.

With this information, I say it is important to start setting laughing goals with your friends and loved ones.  Whether we are looking to advance in our career or get back into the workforce, we all feel a certain pressure to achieve, to meet the deadlines that our bosses set for us, to get that next job, to pay our bills and to save for that rainy day which puts daily stress on our emotions and bodies.  Laughter is the perfect remedy for these daily challenges.

All the more reason for you to set aside time during the week to do activities that bring out laughter with your friends and loved ones.  A good belly laugh can give you the perspective you need so you can:

• pick up the phone and ask for the informational interview,
• work with that difficult colleague, and
• tackle that project you have been putting off for weeks.

I challenge you to go out and laugh.  Laugh hard and often!  It can do your career a world of good!