By Ashley Gomez/reporter

South students learned the benefits of laughter April 6.

South health services coordinator Flo Stanton gave an interactive presentation to promote health by using laughter to manage stress.

“As I developed this series, the idea of using laughter to manage stress appealed to me,” she said. “And I thought sharing it with students that deal with it on a daily basis could eventually make their situation better off in the end.”

Stanton began by asking the crowd what they thought caused stress.

“Stress can be caused by many things, like studying for an exam, applying for a job or even making a bad phone call,” she said.

“It’s how you handle the stress that ultimately makes the difference.”

Stress can lead to damage to the immune system, development of insulin resistance, hypertension, coronary artery disease, gastrointestinal problems and cancer, Stanton said.

Among the 81 ways to cope with stress that Stanton discussed in her handout, knowing one’s limitations and letting others know them, changing unhealthy habits and finding a good support system were the three she recommended for success in managing stress.

Stanton also recommended laughter. The more people laugh, the more they tend to relax, she said.

“It’s that feeling where you can’t catch your breath because you are laughing so uncontrollably and tears start rolling down your face,” she said. “It is at that point where you are fully relaxed.”

Seeing people laugh is one of the most enjoyable sights, Stanton said. They are happy, so they laugh, she said.

“Therefore, you need to surround yourself with good people that make you laugh and fire the friends and family that don’t support you,” she said.

“We aren’t born with a sense of humor. We learn it from our environment, and good people make that environment more enjoyable.”

Stanton decided to make this presentation to students and faculty yearly because she believes “the world is in a worse state” than when she first made the presentation.

“We all need to find more reasons to laugh and relax,” she said. “It’s a great stress reliever.”