The concept of laughter as a cure for disease lacks scientific support, but humor may have significant effects on the psyche. We do know that laughter relaxes us and improves our mood and hearing jokes can ease anxiety. Further, cheerfulness is linked to emotional resilience – the ability to keep a level head in difficult circumstances. Humor can have painkilling properties for people.

Although science hasn’t confirmed the effect of humor I think it safe to say a good sense of humor is an asset.

Psychologist Paul McGhee offers these steps to help with your humor
1) Work on your belly laugh
2) Improve your ability to tell jokes
3) Create your own spontaneous humor
4) Find humor in daily life
5) Learn to laugh at yourself

I do pretty good on all five of these, sometimes too good! But I prefer that to the alternative. As a leader you set the example. Humor is a good place to do that. You can have a bad day but please don’t be one of those sucking holes of negativity that infect the workplace.

Company does not love misery. Humor on the other hand invites company.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 at 3:12 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.