| Inspiring Workplaces |
ISSUE 916 - Apr. 13, 2022 |
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Why Moments of Laughter at Work Matter |
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April 14 is International Moment of Laughter Day, a day to remind us of the importance of laughing out loud every day! So, here are a few reminders as to why your workplace needs more laughter:
- A sense of belonging at work is one of the key drivers of workplace happiness and success. Belonging is a fundamental human need, and shared laughter is one of the most powerful ways to bond and make people feel included. Some researchers believe that the major function of laughter is to bring people together and that laughter synchronizes the brains of both the speaker and the listener so that they become emotionally attuned.
- People are 30 times more likely to laugh in a group than when they are alone, which again speaks to the power of laughter as a force for social bonding.
- Couples that laugh together and reminisce about shared moments of laughter are more likely to stay together. I suspect this also applies to the workplace.
- If you lose something start laughing - laughter helps jog your memory!
- Hearing someone else laugh activates neurons in your premotor cortex which helps prepare your face to smile, which partially explains why laughter is so contagious.
- Just 30 seconds of hearty belly laughing is thought to give you the same physical workout in terms of calories lost as 2-3 minutes on a rowing machine. (So, you really can start laughing at the people working out at your local gym!)
- Laughter increases blood flow and improves cardiovascular health.
- Some laughter researchers believe the health benefits of laughter may simply result from the social support that laughter stimulates. And that the more you laugh at work, the more likely you are to get free chocolates. (OK, I may have made up that last part.)
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Mike's Fun at Work Tip |
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Hold a show and tell icebreaker at a virtual meeting or at one of your first back-at-the-office meetings where everyone has to bring in one object that helped them survive or that they couldn't have lived without while working from home. And if you're worried too many people are going to show off bottles of wine, you can place some restrictions on what's allowed!
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Quote of the Week |
“There’s no fear when you’re having fun.” Will Thomas |
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Funny Business |
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This important safety sign was spotted on the door leading into an internal computer tech office:
Please do not tap on glass.
Programmers are easily scared and will start to cry. Violently.
Please enter SLOWLY while singing Ave Maria to avoid an incident. Thank you.
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