WITTY IN THE WORKPLACE

As you are probably fully aware, work can get stressful at times. We spend so much of our time there, and I know that it sometimes makes me want to tear my hair out (so I can imagine it sometimes makes you feel the same)! But, have you ever thought that a good giggle in your office could relieve your stressful moods? Well, listen up, I’m about to tell you why you should bring a little more laughter to your workplace!

I’m sure you’ll agree we all need a little laughter in our lives, and work should be no exception. According to research from the London Business School having a regular chuckle at work boosts engagement, relieves stress and boredom, whilst also spurring creativity and productivity (and we can’t argue with that!).

From a boss’ point of view a bit of laughter may seem that workers are distracted, but fear not, that isn’t the case. Co-workers who make each other laugh are increasingly likely to support each other in their work tasks, this improves both the speed, and quality of work, thus improving worker productivity. From the perspective of a boss, a team that encourage each other to achieve the highest standard of work, are a team worth keeping!

So, you’re probably wondering how a bit of humour can make you creative, but according to research sarcasm enables this. Many people do equate sarcasm to being nasty and dismissive, however, that is not always the case. Researchers believe that sarcasm facilitates abstract thinking by making people leap from the literal meaning of sarcastic remarks, to the intended meaning—which in turn boosts creativity.

You’d think that with all of these benefits to a bit of humour at work there would be no negatives. Unfortunately, you’d be wrong to assume that! Constantly telling jokes has the potential to undermine you as it may give the impression that you don’t take anything seriously. That being said, this is common with most things, too much of something isn’t good, so it’s good to remember that there is a time and place for humour at work.

Overall, it is evident that there is an array of benefits to having a laugh at work, and it may be handy to know that on those days where the office is extremely busy, cracking a funny joke may defuse the tension.

Do you have any thoughts on humour in the work place? If so, leave a comment below!