Introduction
Humor is something that makes us smile at the beginning of the day and wonder for a time. You’ll be amazed at the end of the day, and then laugh again upon remembering you really had a day. It’s a smile and a laughter that make us healthy inside and out. Humor is a part of life, and if we try to ignore it because of too many activities, or of little things that we tend to magnify in spite of their irrelevance in our lives, then life becomes boring and unhealthy, and for all we know we’ve fallen into a pit of misery.
We have different tastes when it comes to humor. Some want antics, others slapsticks, still others want it light. What do I want? Anything, anything that makes me smile when after a long time, I’ll still be able to remember it.
Main body
I always love humor. And I like to smile and laugh. We’ve got to love it because it’s what makes life exciting. Humor occurs any moment. It is sometimes a cause for an effect, a motivational factor for change, a medicine, a bridge (sort of) between couples, and so forth.
And laughter is a physical activity. It’s not an irrelevant activity; our body needs it, like a medicine for a stressful day. Scott Feschuk, in an article in the humour issue of the Reader’s Digest titled “Why Women Just Don’t Get It,” says, “We laugh to signal safety, when fears of trouble are defused. German soldiers in World War One were seen to laugh after surviving a bombardment. A baby laughs when tickled to show that he knows this ‘attack’ is in play.”
Laughter as medicine, but what if you have a broken leg, is not a cast much better?
Yes, I never laughed before than I did in this class of humorous people and teacher. Whenever I touch base here, I always like to place myself in the center of a joke. That’s because I’ve never felt so relaxed, and healthy, and happy. I want to be humorous, but not to the extent of becoming a clown. But if that would really happen on me, I would just have to love it. Making people happy for what I appear to be may just be a consolation as a human being. To laugh is to be happy. You don’t see people laugh when they are sad, although there are people who are like that. But still, laughing your problems and your miseries out can be self healing.
David Granirer says, “We’ve heard the saying ‘Laughter is the best medicine,’ but now it’s scientifically proven! According to Dr. Lee Berk of the Loma Linda School of Public Health in California, laughter strengthens the immune system and lowers levels of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine. After a bout of laughter, blood pressure drops to a lower, healthier level than when the laughter began. Dr. William Fry of Stanford University found that ‘twenty seconds of guffawing gives the heart the same workout as three minutes of hard rowing.’”
We see what a small amount of laughter can do for us humans. Even animals do it for their own health.
Scott Feschuk likewise writes, “When it comes to comedy, new scientific research tells us there is a significant gender divide – the brains of men and women react quite differently when confronted with a punchline.”
There are differences in both sexes’ grasp and understanding of humour and how their brains work.
Experts at Vanderbilt University in Nashville say that giggles burn some calories, “and the more you laugh, the more you burn.” (Curtis 75).
Activity in the Workplace
Humor stories for the workplace
We have to know what makes people happy and laugh, and change. We always want others to change. But we never want ourselves to change. Our organization has to change for the better. And this we can make it happen through humor.
I would like to do an activity involving humor in the workplace along with employees and managers. My objective here is to change some moods of people in the workplace. An organization whose daily routine involves work and all work has to change. We will record this activity to include the reactions of the people in the workplace.
The objective is to make humor and laughing a part of the culture of the organization, so as to make the workplace exciting and happy for all. This is designed to change the boring atmosphere in the workplace.
Outline
Granirer says, “In today’s workplace, wellness is a serious issue. With terms like ‘stress-related-illness’ and ‘burnout’ becoming household words, organizations look increasingly for ways to keep their workforce happy, healthy and productive.”
We plan to make a change in our own organization and business through some simple activities that will make people laugh and happy, hence change moods of people in the workplace. First, we have to get the cooperation of some employees and supervisors in the workplace. We will assemble and meet the people whom I think are cooperative, make up or tell short anecdotes that will make them laugh. A suggestion is to have costumes of clowns with some touch of Santa Claus. Yes, a clown Santa would be just fine for this business full of serious people. Our goal is to make this a permanent change in the organization, although not outright permanent change. We can introduce it slowly but surely. What is important is to make them happy this Christmas season, and if possible, make them always no matter the time of year. Making them happy is making them laugh. And since laughter is contagious, they will bring it to their families and friends outside the work place.
We will tell stories, anecdotes, quotes, and valuable information, informally to employees. This will be done when the workload is over, like in the afternoon when the day is about to close. Informal interviews, mixed with some stories, can sort of lighten the day and make the employees open to some suggestions.
Some of the anecdotes, quotes, and valuable information to tell:
“The hilarity of a growing forehead: ‘My hairline is making a beeline for my behind.’” (Humor by Kevin Lee Smith, cited in Weed 74).
“A study of laughter from Aberdeen University in Scotland found people who cackle love others’ misfortune; howlers are often mentally ill; snorters are prone to feelings of superiority; sniggerers are immature and insensitive; belly-laughters are trustworthy and friendly; chucklers are kind but introspective; and gigglers are sexual and flirtatious.” (Reader’s Digest 77).
“Look at Bob Hope. Look at Milton Berle, George Burns. Look how long they lived. Seeing the funny side of things keeps you alive.” (Phyllis Diller in Entertainment Weekly, quoted in Reader’s Digest 97).
Activities involved asking questions such as:
- What is humor to you as an employee and as a human being?
- Is it important as eating and going to your office?
- What really makes you laugh?
- Do you make jokes while working? At home?
- Is this important for a wholesome life?
- Are humor and jokes necessary in the workplace?
- What humor stories can you tell us?
- Who are the most humorous people and officemates you know?
- Can you help us and cooperate with us in introducing change in the workplace through humor?
- Does your organization need change?
- Do you think humor can help in realizing this change?
- What about communication, does the organization have an effective program of communication for employees?
- Can the introduction of humor, such as stories, ways of telling anecdotes and communication among employees, help in having an effective communication in your organization?
- Please suggest how humor can be introduced effectively in your organization.
- Tell us some humorous stories circulating inside your organization.
Assessment/Results of activities
The program of activities that we instituted was effective. There was an open discussion. However, when we made our rounds among employees, informally interviewing them, giving jokes and information about humor, there were mixed reactions. Some were skeptical, but most were excited and ecstatic. “Wow!” they said, “Now we can crack jokes inside the office, tell funny stories to our managers! And bring the good news to our families.”
Before managers and employees did not have such an atmosphere of funny situations. People were serious of doing business, making profits, talking without laughing, that everything was almost a mess.
It’s time we introduce laughter in our offices and places of work. This time of activity can be done every time of year, so that we can all go out of the workplace laughing and go home to our homes happy.
Works Cited
Curtis, Patricia. “Laugh Yourself Skinny…?” Reader’s Digest Sept. 2006: p. 75.
Feschuk, Scott. “Why Women Just Don’t Get It.” Reader’s Digest Sept. 2006: pp. 87-89.
Granirer, David. Laughter: The Best Medicine. 2008. Web.
Reader’s Digest. (2006). “Laugh Lines.” p. 77.
Weed, William Speed. “I Am Moe’s Funny Bone.” Reader’s Digest Sept. 2006: pp. 72-75.