I think I’ve mentioned that I follow this writer named James Altucher. I’d link to him, but I can’t trust that I won’t land you on a post that has the F-word in it, and, honestly, I don’t need that kind of trouble right now. If you want to look him up on your own, that’s fine with me, just don’t tell anyone I sent you. (He is a pretty insightful guy, he just seems to get his point across better when he adds a little salt to his language.)
I bring him up, because he wrote an article the other day about laughter. And, he introduced a stat that children laugh 300 times a day, while adults only laugh about 5 times. Statistically speaking. He gave some reasons on why we laugh less, like how we, as adults, are afraid to look stupid, that we have to do things like take the garbage out, and that we consider it socially unacceptable to laugh at farts. True. All true.
As we’re at the start of Laugh at Work Week (April 2-8), I got to thinking about how the very nature of having to work for a living is simply not funny. But most of us have to do it, so, really, why not make the best of it? Let’s not forget the physical benefits of laughter, as well, which make a great case for taking laughter very seriously.
Maybe you like the idea, but your funny bone needs a little limbering up…? Try these tested and approved ideas for making laughter at work happen.
Thanks for Sharing (no, really). In my group, at any given time, one of us will be giggling at our desk over a funny email, or gif, or memory of past foolishness that popped into our heads. Knowing that it would be selfish to keep it to ourselves, we share. And, the next thing you know, we’re all laughing. You might consider this too much of a distraction, but, I promise you, these little exchanges really make our days. So, the next time something laugh-worthy lands in your inbox, pass it on!
Own the Right to Remain Ridiculous. As someone who is attracted to bright, bold colors and anything but subtle designs, I occasionally call a Crazy Pants Wednesday. By operating on the ‘strength in numbers’ principle, if I can coerce a few of my coworkers to join in, I can get away with wearing something totally off the wall. I know I’ve achieved maximum outrageousness when our VP looks at me, laughs, and says: Allison, sometimes I need a moment to process your outfits. Hooray!
May the Best Caption Win. With all the activities going on at Baudville, you can believe there’s a camera following us most of the time—capturing the good, the bad, and the what the…?! We like to amuse ourselves by printing out our favorite candid shots and adding word balloons to them. We actually have some pretty clever people here, and the captions often end up being better than the photo itself!
Keep it Simple: Just Laugh. If there’s any kind of contagion going around the office that can be considered good, it’s infectious laughter. One of my co-workers (psst…it’s Kendra) has the most smile-inducing laugh I’ve ever heard. When she laughs, which is pretty often, it always seems to cause a chain reaction. Sometimes we don’t even know why we’re all laughing, we just are. It’s kind of like laughter yoga.
Call in a Consultant. If you really need help celebrating Laugh at Work Week, you can always bring in some experts: children! You know, the ones who have mastered the art of laughing around 300 times a day? One of my co-workers brought his son in for a few minutes today and he had every one of us smiling and laughing within seconds. They know their stuff, for sure!
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Allison is a self-proclaimed Copywriting Diva and has the certificate to prove it! She’s been writing for Baudville for five years and has worked in a variety of business settings for 20 years. Before becoming a professional writer 13 years ago, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!
