10/11/2023
It's again!!
A series of studies shows the positive impact humor /laughter can have in the office. “According to research from institutions as serious as Wharton, MIT, and London Business School, every chuckle or guffaw brings with it a host of business benefits,” writes Alison Beard in the HBR article, “Leading with Humor.” “Laughter relieves stress and boredom, boosts engagement and well-being, and spurs not only creativity and collaboration but also analytic precision and productivity.” Harvard Business School professor Alison Wood Brooks has also found that cracking jokes at work can make people seem more competent.
What about being on the receiving end of a joke, and laughing heartily? That too can bring a world of benefits to your employees. “When you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body,” the Mayo Clinic explains. It enhances your intake of “oxygen-rich air,” increasing your brain’s release of endorphins. It “can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.”
The Mayo Clinic even praises a howl like mine. “A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, and it can increase your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.”
Given all the research showing that lower stress benefits employees and reduces absenteeism, the freedom to laugh seems not just good, but necessary at work. A group of researchers even found that after watching a comedy clip, employees were 10% more productive than their counterparts.
Within the bounds of decency, laughter on the whole is a good thing, and the benefits far outweigh the risks.
My advice: Let your laugh fly free. Not all day, of course. It’s always good to be conscious of the volume within your environment, and to avoid distracting colleagues. But as Harvard Medical School professor Carl Marci notes, “Laughter is a social signal among humans. It’s like a punctuation mark.”
Take Away: Sometimes in the midst of a stressful day, it’s helpful to be the exclamation point.
*Excerpted from Harvard Business Review, 2018
**Powered by a mother's legacy and fueled by a daughter's commitment, The Pink Ribbon Butterfly Project, LTD (and Trixie McSparkle, Chief Imagination Officer (CIO)'s mission focuses on: Change, Joy, Resurrection, Transition, Empowerment and Celebration.
So, we are on a wandering mission to plant laughter seeds along this thing called life ~ kind of like a modern-day Johnny Appleseed (or wandering metaphysical mischief (mirth) - maker!!!). We offer companies, churches, wellness organizations, hospitals, support groups, camps/retreats, retirement & nursing homes, festivals, celebrations & parties and/or anyone that will have us, the following:
💝Laughter Ice-Breakers
💝Laughter Keynotes
💝Belly Laugh Parties & Giggle Fests
💝Laughter Ambassador Training
💝Laughter for Life (tele-classes)
💝Laughter-Cize Class Series
💝Laughter Toolkits to Patients Going thru Treatment
💝 "U" (free GROUP on Facebook)
www.facebook.com/groups/GiggleFestU
Reach out today if you'd like us to bring more laughter to you!!!!!!