Having a chuckle at work can have some serious benefits for your business. Not only does it affect employees’ wellbeing & state of mind, but it also can boost precision and productivity.
Where has laughter gone?
It’s been suggested that children laugh around 300 times a day, and an average adult laughs only 4… a statistic that reflects a sad reality for most of us! Laughing can be the key to improving the mood in the office; whether you’re a boss with a team of unmotivated workers or a worker that feels stuck in a rut. Start laughing and you could find your situation changing very quickly.
Respected or liked?
If you’re a manager of people, sometimes it may feel like you have to choose between being ‘liked’ or being ‘respected’. My advice is ditch deciding between them, and be both. If you find that perfect balance, it will make your life a little easier – you won’t have to worry too much about holding back or hiding your fun side. Despite popular belief, you can actually have a laugh with your employees and still maintain respect. It may just take some time to find a good middle ground.
Enjoyable workplaces
Businesses are spending millions on employee engagement schemes to enhance their brand. The reason? Not enjoying your job is the antithesis of creativity and productivity. Without a known positive culture and reputation, attracting and retaining talent becomes really tough. You spend the majority of your time in the workplace, so you need to enjoy your time there. Of course, the office needs to be optimised for working, but in equal measures you need to be relaxed, comfortable and happy in the workplace. If you’re happy, the work will improve and creativity will sky-rocket.
Laughter is the best medicine
“Your sense of humour is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health” says Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D. Laughing has a whole host of benefits for your mental health. It has incredible strength as a stress reliever, and it releases endorphins in the brain that can leave you feeling happier.
Physical benefits
As well as being fantastic for your mental health, laughing can keep you physically fit too. It turns out that laughing for 10-15 minutes can burn 50 calories and have a similar effect to exercise (source). There’s also a host of other benefits including reduced blood sugar levels, improved sleep and better blood circulation. It’s definitely time to get laughing!
Shift your perspective
Sometimes situations at work can seem threatening and scary, meaning you’re easily put off tasks that need to get done. Laughing and the introduction of humour to a workplace can make these tasks seem at least a little less daunting and ultimately achievable. When you don’t take things so seriously, your perspective shifts and you can gain a whole new outlook on things. This is true for both work and personal life. Learn to lighten up!
Infectious
Not only will laughing seriously improve your time at work, but it will also have an effect on those around you. I recently watched an advert created for Coca Cola that showed a man laughing loudly on a train. Before long, the rest of the carriage was chuckling along with him. Positivity is infectious.
If you’re looking for your dose of laughter for the day, look no further – we’ve got you covered:
https://twitter.com/ScotJock/status/696794252567642112
I was trying to enjoy a nice bath but… pic.twitter.com/hzjaBNLzvL
— hails (@hbarinsky) May 17, 2016
Leaving my browser history open in case anyone in this coffee shop tries to steal my laptop when I'm in the bathroom. pic.twitter.com/IOo89Vypy7
— chelsea anét (@chelseaanet) March 16, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ou89PyYjT4
https://twitter.com/robwhisman/status/619355160154931200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
How do you keep your employees happy at work? We want to know. Let us know your stories in the comments below.
Image credit: Shutterstock
