The Power of Laughter as an Entrepreneur
Starting your own business is by far one of the most challenging and stressful endeavors anyone can undertake. There are riches, glory, and a deep personal sense of success on the other side of this road but during the first few years of running your own business, the experience can be nerve-wracking. Most entrepreneurs get depressed at some point during their startup cycle and it can take months before the really terrifying part of starting a business finally evens out to the part where you’re making money and things are moving upward. If you’re right in the midst of the hardest phase of any entrepreneur’s journey, the best thing you can do for your endurance and morale is learn to laugh. Here are some cool things about the power of laughter:
Laughter is the Best Medicine
One of the reasons entrepreneurs are so susceptible to depression is because you get run down. Not getting enough sleep and worrying all the time about this and that literally depresses your body, as in slows it down and lowers your immune system. Of course, slowing down is the last thing any entrepreneur wants, especially when your business is just about to really start making money. The key to making it through the dark times with your health and sanity intact is a robust sense of humor. We’re not talking crazy nervous laughter, though that certainly happens sometimes. Rather, it’s important to be able to laugh at yourself or about a situation, releasing stress and improving your morale, instead of letting it get you down or stress you out. Laughter has been found to actually lift your mood, stimulate blood and oxygen flow, and even sooth that growing muscle tension between your shoulder blades. How about that for the power of laughter!
When to Laugh
Laughter isn’t always the answer, but knowing when to laugh off an issue at the right moment will actually help you keep the more serious concerns in perspective. More often than not, the thing that causes a breakdown is something small, some little event that didn’t go to plan and all that built up stress comes tumbling down. But if you learn to laugh off little things like a lost package, a missed dinner reservation, or your own small mistakes, the extra stress these events might bring will simply roll off your shoulders. The power of laughter can lighten the burden of being responsible for every aspect of your new business and help you focus and spend time worrying about only the most important events and decisions. Which B2B services to rely on, meeting your deadlines, and planning your next six months are all infinitely more important than accidentally registering an account under an old email address. If you can let little mistakes go with a chuckle, it will be much easier to persevere through the many challenges of entrepreneurial success.
Humor is Good for the Office
Finally, whether you’re a solo-preneur or work with a small close-knit team, you as the founder set the mood for the entire brand. In essence, you are the current central source of company culture and at this moment, your attitude determines almost everything about the company from the tone of your customer service to the convenience of your company policies. If you have a positive attitude and a laid-back sense of humor about the actions of others around you, it will shine through in your company. Any staff or business partners you work with will relax and give their best, secure in the knowledge that you won’t hold small mistakes against them. Customers can also detect a good attitude in company culture and will feel more taken care of when they need to ask you for something like help with their form or how to refer a friend. Being able to laugh off little things isn’t just good for you and your endurance as an entrepreneur, it’s good for everyone you work with.
The power of laughter can be amazing in a startup company. Every day may not always be a laugh riot and, most days, there will be more work than jokes but it’s important to maintain your sense of humor. Being able to laugh at yourself and at the circumstances around you will improve your outlook, focus, and morale. Just remember to crack a smile from time to time. For more helpful advice for taking on the challenge of entrepreneurship,
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