Lay it on the line

9. Sometimes just telling the truth or pointing out the obviuos can get a laugh. People are accustomed to exaggeration and truth bending (too many TV commercials, perhaps), so plain speaking can come as a refreshing shock. For example, after delivering a series of lengthy explanations during a question-and-answer period, some people have been known to put everyone in stitches by simply replying to the next question with “Gee, I don’t know.” This kind of humour is a way of fighting stress by accepting our short-comings, says Joel Goodman, Ed.D., director of the HUMOR Project in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Clip a cartoon

10. Keep a file of jokes and cartoons that make you laugh. Paste a few up where you’re likely to need them – at work, on the refrigerator, wherever.

True or false.

1. The author believes that humor may be the healthiest way to relieve stress.

2. During a good laugh, there is a slight rise in heart rate and blood pressure.

3. After a good laugh, blood pressure returns to its prelaugh level.

4. Our cave-dwelling ancestors were stressed by life-threatening situations.

5. The trick to stress busting is find ways to laugh at the situation after it has happened.

6. Getting a new perspective is what comedy is all about.