Laughter in the workplace

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Humour is an important human function and an asset in the workplace.  Humour breaks the ice and shows that the person is human and it helps to build a bond between people.  Sharing is an important social function, and sharing humour is an important part of helping to build relationships. When people are in groups they tend to laugh more, sometimes because the other people laughing.  Is very hard to keep a straight face if you are in the company of people who are laughing.The Victorian concept of "work" meant that it was a burden carried out by people performing monotonous tasks in an unfriendly and dangerous environment.  "Work" has been described as the place you are when you want to be somewhere else.  However, the workplace can become a place of enjoyment rather than the gruelling and tedious business of the job. 

In a humorous environment, people feel relaxed, supported and behave in a more open fashion.  People work better together in this sort of environment.  How often do we actively try and create this environment in the workplace?  Do we frown when we hear laughter, knowing that the deadline has to be met? 

Think about this, most people tend to feel more isolated and threatened when they work by themselves.  Their performance is often less effective.  On the other hand, people working in a humorous environment as part of a team tend to produce a higher level of performance.  This is because they are free to explore, to play, take risks and most of all to make mistakes.

Studies at Stanford University have found that laughter creates an increase in white blood cell activity and produces changes in the balance of the blood.  They say that laughter may increase the body's production of the neurotransmitters necessary for alertness and memory.

Scientists studying brain based learning say that humour stimulates both the left and right sides of the brain.  The "right brain" connects the memory to the pleasurable moment of laughter.  The "left" brain ties the subject content to a memorable emotional moment. 

What this means is that people tend to understand the message better and remember it longer when information is accompanied by humour.  It has also been suggested that using humour reduces stress and that learning can take place in an environment of reduced pressure.

To understand the effects of laughter we have to look at the physiological results of laughing.  Whenever we have a good laugh we feel better.  This is because laughter triggers the production of a body chemical called catecholamine.  What is interesting is that this chemical enhances our alertness.  At the same time laughter causes your brain to produce hormones called endorphins.  These are the body's natural painkillers.  Anxiety and depression cannot exist with physical laughter. 

The laughter releases pent-up emotion and that is why we joke about tragedy and misfortune.  It is our way of coping with the negative effects of distressing experiences or news.  The laughter allows us to function in spite of the tragic events.

Group acceptance and a feeling of group membership is accelerated when humour is used.  It removes social barriers and creates a sense of belonging and cohesion.  Once a group is used to using humour among its members, it becomes a deterrent for bad feeling or even aggression.  Sometimes humour can dissipate a negative or hostile climate with the effect of giving time for people to get rid of their anger.

Someone said that if you can find humour in anything bad, you can survive it.  Humour is the opposite of the negative emotions such as stress that produce negative symptoms such as high blood pressure, depression and ulcers.  Humour produces positive emotions with positive symptoms such as greater tolerance to stress and the dissipation of pent-up emotions.

It seems that humour is a vital skill to cope in today's workplace.

Peter Mitchell