WORKPLACE WELLNESS
Encouraging humour no laughing matter
Ha-ha-ha-ing all the way to health
“When Risa is the cook, there is a glow felt by everyone,” a Hollyhock guest tells me. Risa has a wonderful laugh and a joyful presence, not surprisingly her name means laughter in
Spanish. I am working here at Hollyhock – a leading educational retreat centre – for the summer season where on a daily basis there is an abundance of laughter resonating through the woods, the kitchen, the beach and the majestic garden.
Last spring, at Hollyhock’s annual staff retreat, Lee-Anne Ragan, co-owner and communication director of Rock.Paper.Scissors (RSP), came to give a workshop on laughter in the workplace. Established in 1992, RPS has built a reputation
for producing hit comedy shows and critically acclaimed corporate entertaining and training.
In the corporate world, there can be an impression that business is serious, but according to Ragan 98% of CEO prefer to hire someone
with a sense of humour.
We start to laugh before we walk or talk and all cultures do it. Laughter is one of the best medicines. For example, it oxygenates the blood, increases energy levels, relaxes muscles, stimulates both
hemispheres of the brain, strengthens the immune system and lowers blood pressure.
Ragan provides seven reasons for incorporating humour in the workplace:
Team building Reducing stress and promoting wellness Informing and teaching Improving a particular business practice Facilitating change Encouraging innovation and creativity Increasing communication and decreasing conflicts
She tells the story of a client who used humour to facilitate change. The company had just gone through a major expansion. As the staff numbers grew, there was a
need to provide an avenue for connection. In their newsletter they created a new focus called “Separated at Birth” where a celebrity and a staff person were paired because of their resemblance. It became a favorite topic and allowed the
staff to become familiar with each other.
Another promoter of laughter in the workplace in Vancouver is David Granirer. Last month he led a Comedy Boot Camp for a corporation where he trained six of their executives to be stand-up
comics. It was a year-end event; they put a show together including breakthrough as well as challenges the company had just experienced. The event gave everyone a sense of acknowledgement and an opportunity to relax, reflect and laugh at
situations that were at the time stressful.
According to David the psychological benefits of laughter are better researched than the physiological benefits. When people go through difficult situations, humour can ease trauma.
In Chinese Medicine, laughter is connected with the heart and the heart is said to be the residence of “Shen” our spirit or inner self. A path with heart has joy and enthusiasm, a joy not dependant on external circumstances. There is a
sense of being tuned-in, connected with an inner guidance. While good hearty laughter is great for the heart, too much or inappropriate laughter can be a sign of heart imbalance.
At Hollyhock there is much beauty. From the garden,
the food, the buildings, the flower arrangements, everything is imbued with love and care. However, working here is demanding. On a busy day Risa has to prepare meals for 120 people. After a long day’s work she says she feels energized.
She loves what she does and communicates her enthusiasm to colleagues as well as guests. Her laughter is invigorating!
A few tips on how to incorporate humour in the workplace:
You don’t need to be a professional. Examine your corporate culture. Is laughter encouraged and present? Look at your capacity. Will humour be an integral part of your business plan? Is it a big or a small strategy? As proposed by Granirer take a smile time-out. Take a deep breath, smile, exhale and say “aaah”, while visualizing all your muscles and cells smiling. Add a
memory of a time when you felt really good and laugh.
For more information on Granirer’s work visit www.psychocomic.com Rock.Paper.Scissors have a humour in the
workplace award, for their on line application and list of past winners visit www.rpsinc.ca
To quote Joseph Campbell (I think): “In the absence of hearty laughter, run!" |
