Working in sales can be stressful. From communicating with difficult clients to trying to keep your sales pipeline full, the stress can sometimes feel unrelenting. One of the best ways to relieve that stress? Simply laughing at yourself. Keeping a sense of humor can improve your mood in the moment and make life a little easier.

According to author Jack Canfield, being able to laugh at yourself is a valuable skill that many people do not take time to develop. Everyone makes mistakes and we all embarrass ourselves occasionally. It’s better to find amusement from these missteps than mulling over what went wrong.

In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share Canfield’s thoughts on some of the biggest benefits of being more lighthearted in business and in life.

Laughing builds your credibility. When you goof up, you could gloss over it like it never happened or you could slink around in embarrassment. You could also refuse to admit the mistake or try to blame it on someone else. However, these responses won’t lead to any helpful results. It’s better to own up to your mistake and find humor in the situation, says Canfield. Your colleagues and clients will probably admire you for your candor and how you handled the error.

Laughing keeps you healthy. If you just got out of a stressful meeting or had a difficult conversation, find something to laugh about. Canfield points out that laughter is scientifically proven to reduce stress and alleviate anger, shame, bitterness or any other negative emotions you may be feeling. Having a good laugh releases endorphins, which can put you in a more positive frame of mind. Laughing is good for your heart, too, helping improve blood flow and get more oxygen into your body.

Laughing forms bonds. If you want to establish authentic connections, you can’t shut yourself off. You should feel comfortable showing up as your true self. If you take yourself too seriously or don’t allow yourself to see the humor in situations, you miss out on the chance to bond with people on a deeper level, notes Canfield.

Laughter makes tense situations easier. Have you ever been in a meeting or conversation where everyone feels a little uncomfortable? Laughter is a great way to diffuse awkward or tense situations, says Canfield. Try to be the one in the room to introduce some humor. Make it okay to laugh at yourself. When you do, you give permission to others that they don’t have to take themselves so seriously, either.

What kind of impact could you make on your sales team if you learned to laugh at yourself more often?

Instead of taking yourself so seriously, learn to laugh. Recount a humorous story or share a funny joke. You’ll go a long way at lightening the mood and relieving tension. Remember that laughter helps you stay focused on the positive and recover from mistakes faster, so try to look on the bright side more often.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Jack Canfield is an author, motivational speaker, corporate trainer and entrepreneur.