LOL

AJ Scirri
19 Apr, 2025
0 Comments
5 Mins Read

Hey! So… I know the world, and school for that matter, is… challenging. I get it. I’m a student, too. I totally get the ‘stress factor’ tied along with a bad day of work, but I’m here to tell you that there is some possible way to let the worries of the day melt away… Sorry for the rhyme, but it was from a really good show—and… yeah. Anyway… Stress is, unfortunately, quite common in today’s world, especially for students. In fact, adults can say what they want, but being a teenager is the hardest job ever.

In a normal day, whether in school or not, but let’s just go with school for now, kids and teens are put under a lot of stress from intrinsic (inside) and extrinsic (outside) stressors. When we are stressed, anxiety hormones can take a mental toll, as well as a physical one. Have you ever been so stressed that you found yourself with your head in your hands, looking over a mocking worksheet for the billionth time, worrying about how you might fail? Or have you come home, after school, only to upend your homework on the kitchen table?

Well, tell you what… I have, and I wish I would have known this trick sooner, so I’m gonna tell you. This little ‘magical’ trick is humor. Crazy, huh? Now, I know what you must be thinking… Laughter? Oh, yeah. I should have known, but just hear me out. Comedic relief is a proven way to relieve stress. All your problems, well maybe not all, but some, can be lightened just by something as simple as a laugh. Posted below, from the Mayo Clinic, are just a few benefits you can have just from having a laugh:

Stimulates organs: Laughing takes in needed oxygen, which allows you to perform better… say… if you’re an athlete who needs to really pull through for the team, or even just a normal person.
Soothes tension: Humor can also relax your body, which reduces one of the most common symptoms in stress… tightness.
Improves immune system: Laughter releases neuropeptides (stuff that fights stress hormones) and makes certain you’re much, much, much healthier.
Relieves pain: If you’re injured, laughing might just be the best thing that you can do. Think of it like your body’s self-regulating pain killer.
Improves mood: Other than the physical helpfulness of laughing, there are also some mental things, such as improving your mood. It can also improve your mindset and self-esteem.
Increases satisfaction: Laughing can even help with social situations. I mean, who doesn’t want to be around the kid in school who is always smiling, laughing, and genuinely having a good time?

Here are some more benefits of laughter from the University of St. Augustine:

Relieves stress: Humor is a great way to relieve stress, so make sure to have good genuine laughs throughout the day.
Provides distraction: When you are peeing your pants (not literally… hopefully), you aren’t thinking about that upcoming test you’re worried about, or that overdue assignment, or the cookies that you left in the oven… COOKIES NO!!!

I can’t tell you enough (well, hopefully I did) about the incomparable benefits of taking a funny break with your friends, family, or total strangers. If you aren’t nuts about laughing with people you don’t know, I can assure you… When you laugh and wave your hands in the air, you really just don’t care.

Alright, alright… So, I know what you’re thinking… Thanks so much, AJ, for those fabulous words of wisdom *cough* hopefully *cough*, but how can we make certain that we have a good laugh. For the record, when I say laugh, I mean that it could be ‘You seriously just said that?’ to ’Stop! Stop! My stomach hurts!’

But, if you need some ideas, I will be happy to oblige. I’ll scrawl a couple suggestions on how to laugh a lot and make your day just a little bit cheerier down below (from the University of St. Augustine):

Pin up some funny things: Find something that makes you chuckle or smirk and put it somewhere where you can see it… around your home, in your room, on your desk, for a digital background… Doesn’t matter. Even a school binder…
Surround yourself with funny people: If your friends are cool, hang out with them and enjoy their jokes. Laugh along with them, and don’t worry about making fun of yourself, but be sure to make certain you’re laughing with and not at others.
Spend time with your pets: If you have a dog or a cat (I don’t know if fish have a good sense of humor, but I digress), play with your furry companions. I assure you, they will not get offended if you laugh at them as you pet their bellies.
Watch YouTube: If you’re the kind of kid that just needs a little break, then watch a funny YouTube video that always makes you smile.
Laugh at yourself: Like I said earlier, don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. Instead of getting mad or upset, just laugh at whatever ridiculous thing you just said or did and move on with your life.

These are just a few things that I hope help add a little joy to your world. Also, remember that you might not be the only person in need of a laugh. If you find someone looking blue, you know what to do (again, sorry for the rhyme… I’m really starting to hear it now). So… This is just about the end of this blog post, so I guess I better wrap it up. Going forth, I implore you, don’t take life so seriously; we’re only kids and we should be having fun, not fretting about the ‘what ifs.’

I guess… what I’m trying to say… is that laughter truly is the best medicine. So… just remember what LOL stands for… just in case you don’t know, it stands for LOTS OF LAUGHS… So, LOL!

References:

Mayo Clinic. “Stress relief from laughter? It’s no joke.” July 29, 2021. Accessed March 28, 2025, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456

University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. “How Laughter Can Relieve Stress + Ideas to Laugh it Off.” Accessed March 28, 2025, from https://www.usa.edu/blog/how-laughter-can-relieve-stress/