Humor vs. Stress in the Workplace

Like Godzilla vs Megadon, humor battles stress and its related evil byproducts.

How serious is stress? Expert s say that stress is a factor in over 70% of illness. Stress can be involved in high blood pressure, anxiety and ulcers. Not fun stuff. But laughter and humor arrive to save the day and can combat stress as it starts.

We need to be aware of when we are under stress. We need to react to it with a deep breath and a calming reminder to ourselves that we can get through this. Finally a refreshing 5 or 10 minute comedy break can help us get back into a positive mood and help us to move forward to tackle that Goliath of a problem that is facing us. A healthy dose of humor will help us release the tension and allow us to move forward with clarity and a positive attitude.

We know that sooner later some sort of stress will come into our lives. Be prepared for that next difficult situation and have a humor button on your computer. This is a place in your bookmarks that takes to you to  several comedy sites that you know have funny stuff.

You may also wish to have a folder in your e-mail that contains funny photos and videos that friends have sent. This file can bring relief when needed and help you brighten up your spirits and your day,. This positive attitude can help us push on and find solutions

Humor can alter our mood without any harmful side effects, unless you get a pain in your ribs from laughing.

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Seven Ways That Humor in the Workplace is Valuable By Norm Barnhart

Life in the workplace is full of challenges, pressures, demands and change. A dose of humor is good medicine and helps us to deal with stress. Effective leaders and employees can benefit from laughter as it encourages team building, creative problem solving and can set a positive work atmosphere.

7 Ways That Humor in the Workplace is Valuable

1 Humor Creates a Positive Atmosphere. People get more done when they are happy and feeling positive. We laugh with our friends and a friendly environment can be a healthy and more productive environment.

2. Humor is the Ultimate  Stress Reducer. OK, Humor may be the second best stress reliever next to some drug, but the side effects of humor are more beneficial to the work environment. There is potential for stress in every workplace.  It can build and eat away at productivity. A little levity can help reduce stress in difficult situations. Humor can bring people together and this can help refocus energy to the task at hand.

3. Humor Builds the Team. Humor is an asset in the workplace because it encourages communication, builds relationships and helps people get along. It helps generate a positive work environment and builds the team. Add a short joke or cartoon to an inner office memo or e-mail. People will look forward to hearing from you.

4. Humor helps us in Creative Problem Solving. Humor helps bring a mindset of creativity because humor comes from looking at things in different ways. The more we practice using our sense of humor the more our mind expands and looks at the possibilities in front of us.

5. Humor Creates a Positive work environment. A cheerful place to work is a place where people are feeling positive and supported. It lifts Spirits and Attitudes.  If a person makes a mistake we can try to look at the humorous side and get over it quicker. Getting past mistakes and into forgiveness is important to give to others when they make an error. This atmosphere of kindness is very valuable when we are the one who makes a mistake. An attitude of grace comes from looking at problems and misunderstandings in a humorous way.  Someday we’ll look back on this and it will be funny.

6. Humor helps us keep a positive perspective on Life and Work. When we look at the bright side of things our attitude is more positive.

7. Humor Encourages Communication.  Laughter helps people get closer and to connect and bond. When we laugh together we find common ground and this builds a positive work environment.

The Logic of Humor as a Business Tool By Norm Barnhart

Does humor have some logical and tangible positive effects on the creative state of mind? Is there a connection between success and your attitude resulting from humor in the workplace? Let’s look at this logical and analytical manner.

Experts say that children laugh or smile an average of 400 times a day. Adults laugh or smile an average of 15 times a day. Adults are missing out on 385 laughs or smiles each day! Does this lack of laughter have a side effect? Is it good to deprive ourselves of the joy that comes from laughter? Can we have greater success in problem solving through humor?

Don’t miss out on the laughter its benefits. Cultivate your sense of humor and see the resulting success in creative solutions to problems and challenges.

Laughter can make us creative because it works out a part of the brain that enjoys discovering the unexpected. A punch line in a joke is unexpected and it triggers a reaction in the creative part of the brain that says, “ah-hah!” The more we enjoy the unexpected side of life the more we will exercise our ability to become aware of different ways to look at situations.

Looking at things from different angles is the root of creativity. Develop this gift you already have and you will make yourself an invaluable part of any team. You will be the idea person who helps the organization come up with productive solutions.

One of the humor’s biggest benefits is the ability to laugh at our failures.  Failure is a secret key to success. Thomas Edison “failed” many times as he attempted to make a practical light bulb.  He did not look at them as failures, but he felt that he was discovering thousands of ways to not make a light bulb.

Babe Ruth swung and missed many times and yet the more he swung and tried, the more often he put one out of the park! You may strike out many times, but the more you try the more successful results will come.

Humor Combats Stress

Studies have shown that people are better able to handle stress and discomfort while listening to humorous recordings than those who listened cds of non-fiction information or silence or even relaxation tapes. Laughter and comedy can break us free of stress and release the creativity in our minds. This creativity is also the problem solving and solution finding part of the mind. This is what can make us invaluable to our place of work and that is a huge factor in our success in the workplace.