Why your rollicking laugh is your best shot at beating stress. No joke.

Welcome to the latest edition of 'Thank God It’s Monday!', the newsletter designed to get you moving from awareness to action on all things mental fitness & wellbeing.

Book now to discuss how fifty50 can support your workplace wellbeing.

They say laughter is the best medicine.?

Laughter is a great barometer for positivity and happiness at work, which in turn leads to greater levels of sustained productivity. If your workplace is lacking in smiles and giggles, is it time to prescribe yourself, and your team, a large dose of humour to get those guffaws going?

Who remembers the awkward yet hilarious scene in The Office where David Brent (Ricky Gervais) laughs continuously for 30 seconds in front of his team? It's possibly the longest 30 seconds ever but in a good way. If you have seen it, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about, and you'll already be smiling. If you haven't, you'll be laughing in about 10 seconds, I promise.

You can watch the clip here.

David Brent makes a very good point. Laughter is good for us. It’s good for our body, mind and soul.

Laughter is also central to relationships, and there is power in shared laughter. Victor Borge once wrote, “Laughter is the closest distance between two people.”?So if we know it's good for us, and we know it can bring us together, why aren't we doing it more?

Laugh, and the world laughs with you.

Laughter is contagious. It’s thought to rest on the mirror neuron system—the same system responsible for collective yawns and the experience of empathy. How many times have you overheard someone laughing and then found yourself chuckling along in tandem??

We were reliving a few choice moments from a 'Hen Do' the previous weekend, and we were all in tears; no joke. The laughter was uncontrollable. I could hardly breathe; I had tears streaming down my face, and my cheeks were aching from the pain. I was holding my jaw, my face, and my whole body was racking as I failed to stifle my screams of laughter.

This moment is etched in my memory because when I looked around, everyone was laughing with me. I mean, they weren’t even aware of what I was trying to say, and to be honest, I could hardly get the words out I was laughing that much! But, they were laughing nonetheless. In these moments, energy is exchanged, and we do feel closer. It’s a great feeling.

Yes, I got the look from my boss to call it a day, and yes, he was laughing too. I had a fantastic day at work, I was super productive, and I've no doubt my fit of the giggles positively impacted my day.

Now, whilst I do appreciate that we can’t spend all day every day lolling and rolling around our desks, what if we included laughter in our agendas? What if we became conscious about making time to laugh at work every day? How would this impact our morale, spirit, relationships and happiness??

You're physically & mentally healthier when you laugh.

Those who know me know I love to laugh, and I have quite a raucous ‘dirty laugh’, or so I’m told! I also love to throw my head back, it’s a family trait, and I’ve become accustomed to smashing the back of my head on many a wall! So, imagine my glee when I read that The Mayo Clinic?praises?a hearty laugh to activate your stress response. They explain that “a rollicking laugh can fire up and then cool down your stress response, and it can increase your heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in a good, relaxed feeling.” They add that “when you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body.” 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 also cite the longer-term benefits of laughter that are also hugely supportive of positive workplace wellbeing.?

Laughter produces its own natural painkillers,?which are great for helping people experiencing pain and chronic pain.?

It?boosts your immune system, banishing the negative thoughts that manifest into chemical reactions in your body in favour of positive thoughts releasing neuropeptides that work to fight stress and potentially more serious illnesses.

Laughter can also make it easier to cope with difficult situations and connect with other people,?increasing personal satisfaction.?

Laughter has a?similar effect to an antidepressant?because it activates the release of the neurotransmitter serotonin, the same brain chemical affected by the most common types of antidepressants, SSRIs. Laughter can help lessen your stress, depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier. It can also improve your self-esteem.

“Laughter is found to relieve stress and boredom, boost engagement and wellbeing, and spurs not only creativity and collaboration but also analytic precision and productivity.”?- (Alison Beard, in the HBR article “Leading with Humor”).

Prescribing a large dose of laughter at work.

Laughter is often referred to as social glue, and it is critical for connection. This also translates across the workplace. Yet the reality of flexible working is that many people can feel more isolated and unable to connect and share in the same way. We all know how hard it is to get the laughter going over Zoom; with endless wifi problems, timings are off, and it’s generally more cringe than chortle. It's worth putting some thought into how you can inject a little laughter when working remotely.

We need to think about the culture we’re creating and whether we’re giving people permission to show up and share a little piece of who they are when they're at work. I'd go as far as to say we want people to share a lot of who they are, as it's the authenticity that acts as a catalyst for potential.

In order to deepen connection, trust and sharing, we need to lead by example and create a culture where it's not only okay to laugh on the job, but it's encouraged. The benefits are clear, and in a world where we're facing the highest levels of absenteeism and presenteeism relating to poor mental health than ever before, there is work to be done by each of us to help create a space where people feel safe and happy each day. We also need to identify and encourage behaviours that will positively impact wellbeing.

Clearly, we’re talking about laughing together with others rather than laughing at the expense of others. When laughing together, which we are much more likely to do, it leads us back to the contagious nature of laughter - we just relax. We can combat stress better, and it makes us happier in the moment.?

Equally, this is not to say you need to swallow a knock-knock joke book or channel your inner stand-up dream - although if this is a skill you possess, do share away! Get talking, ask some questions, and find out how you can work together to bring laughter forward a little more during working hours.

Maybe it's taking turns to share a funny clip of a show or movie, telling a joke or sharing a funny memory - it all helps to build in funny moments to the working day. Another idea could be to create a digital picture wall where funny pictures of the team and quotes are visible, which can be used as a Zoom background for team meetings or a screensaver. Having a physical space for this is also a great idea, and as long as it keeps the spirit of laughing together, it can be good fun. If it’s in the kitchen, it can show funny moments from company parties, team events and so forth and act as a hub for laughter-induced conversation.

Remember, you can’t be anxious and present at the same time.

Let's get laughing to drown out the negativity and replace it with positivity; we'll form deeper connections and more trusted relationships, and we'll be better equipped to handle the stress that we face at work and in life.

Reflections:

• Are you creating a culture of permission to laugh easily?
• Are you leading with humour?
• When was the last time you sat in the office and heard laughter ring around you?

Now go watch The Office clip again...

#TGIM #thankgoditsmonday #workplacewellbeing #workplacementalhealth #workplaceculture