There is a dive restaurant/bar where I occasionally stop for a cold beer – or at least, where I used to grab a beer before the world plunged into chaos a couple weeks ago. Near the entrance to this bar, a (likely inebriated) patron carved the words, “Mikey Sunshine was here.” It’s silly, but seeing it always brings a smile to my face and makes me wish I could meet Mr. Sunshine.
I read an article once about a study showing waitstaff who drew a smiley face on the check received on average 18% higher tips than those who left the checks plain. That seems stupid – it’s just a drawing on a piece of paper, after all; it’s not even a real smile from a real person. But people like being around others who try to make them happy, even with small gestures. It’s the same reason why a good sense of humor is almost always ranked near the top in traits that people most desire in a potential romantic partner.
Laughter and smiles are associated with fun. Yet too often the person who holds us back from laughing and having fun is ourselves. We worry too much about what others may think of us. It’s one of the small positives that I think may come out of this whole “social distancing” mess: with nowhere to go and virtually everyone in the same boat, we’re running out of people who we think we need to impress. I also like to think we’re judging everyone, including ourselves, a little less harshly in these difficult times.
Let’s all take a page out of “Mikey Sunshine’s” book. Take a moment, amid all of the worries and stress of the present moment, to let yourself laugh. Do a silly dance in front of your mirror. Sing ridiculously in the shower. Pretend to have a two-way conversation with your cat. Whatever it is, just let yourself have fun for a second. The stress will still be there afterwards, but you’ll be in a better frame of mind to handle it.
Have a great weekend,
Ro