By Charles Davenport

“Life is a huge farce, and the advantage of possessing a sense of humor is that it enables one to defy fate with mocking laughter.” —George Gissing, from the novel, New Grub Street

Now here is a New Year’s resolution we can all embrace: lighten-up and laugh a little!

It must be quite depressing, attempting to navigate through life’s challenges and pitfalls with no sense of humor. Most of us have known, and perhaps worked with, several of these “doom-bringers.” They rarely smile, never laugh, and treat every minor obstacle as if it were a cataclysmic disaster. The emissary of doom mopes around the workplace with a perpetually grim appearance, relentlessly complaining about this or that, infecting the rest of us with despair and hopelessness.

Some of us go to great lengths to avoid interacting with the office doom-bringer; there must be a regulation of some sort that requires every business to employ at least one. When we see him heading in our direction, we will place a cellphone to our ear and pretend that we are engaged in a very important conversation by saying something like, “Oh, no! That is not good. I will consult with my colleagues about this problem right now!” This allows us to speed-walk away from the doom-bringer and postpone a spirit-crushing conversation.

If the telephonic ruse is not an option, you can easily feign a sudden attack of nausea: simply grab your stomach, exclaim, “Uh-oh!”, place your other hand over your mouth and sprint in the direction of the nearest restroom. You will have avoided, for the moment, being engulfed by the cloud of despair that hovers around your potential assailant.

Let us be honest: Most of us are not brain surgeons. So, generally speaking, the tasks we undertake on a daily basis are not matters of life-and-death. An occasional bout of levity is not only acceptable, but necessary.

A doom-bringer in the family would be even more difficult to deal with, because there is no simple escape (especially if the offender happens to be your spouse). Fortunately, that has never been an issue here in the Davenport residence, but I imagine that the presence of such a person would disrupt the mood of euphoria and bliss that prevails in most marriages. (What is so funny?)

Ironically, one could argue that a robust sense of humor is serious business. That is because laughing is good for your mental and physical well-being; not laughing, on the other hand, is quite the opposite. Of course, I am not a wellness expert, so let us consult with a few authorities and see if we can verify the Davenportian theory.

Here is an excerpt from a press release Wake Forest University issued a while back: “Humor is good for our physical and mental health. When we laugh, our muscles are activated, oxygen floods the blood, the cardiovascular system dilates, and the brain releases endorphins that increase our sense of well-being. In addition, humor reduces tension and stress, makes life fun, fosters creativity, promotes problem-solving, and helps us realize and appreciate the realities of life.”

Here are a few tidbits from an article written by “Mayo Clinic Staff,” which is a peculiar name, but we will go with it. According to Mr. Staff, laughter is a great stress reliever, because it “stimulates circulation and aids muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.”

Mr. Staff writes that laughter can also improve your immune system–that is the thing that keeps us from getting sick. “Negative thoughts,” Staff says, “manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts can actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.” We seem to have verified the Davenportian theory. And I must say, I am quite disappointed in those of you who doubted me.

All of this is good news for those of us who are quick to laugh–sometimes we double-over in riotous laughter even when doing so is wildly inappropriate. We cannot help it! We have been blessed with a robust sense of humor. Our funny bones are easily tickled.

But what about the obligatory doom-bringer in your office? The grim-faced, surly, stick-in-the-mud who laughs at nothing? Well, there is hope for them, too. The aforementioned author, Mr. Mayo Clinic Staff, offers a few tips on how even our poutiest, most sullen coworkers can improve themselves–for our sake, of course. “Humor,” Staff writes, “can be learned. In fact, developing or refining your sense of humor may be easier than you think.” He suggests that the killjoys among us post funny comic strips in their cubicles (I highly recommend Calvin & Hobbes), attend a comedy show, rub elbows with funny people, or seek out amusing videos online.

Laughter is good for you, so do yourself (and more importantly, the rest of us) a favor: lighten-up and laugh a little!