Lighten Up At Work  

This article focuses on ideas to having more fun at work by employing a
more light-hearted approach. I hope these ideas, obtained from several
sources, will spark you to share as well. Wouldn't it be great to smile
more while putting in all those hours on the job? Have fun, giggle, and
make life easier for yourself and the people you spend a lot of time
with.

Laughter works because it increases blood circulation, feeds oxygen to
the brain, pumps out hormones that aid alertness, and releases
pain-killing endorphins. These effects can improve mental skills such
as decision making, negotiating, data organization, and word
association. Tell me how any boss could argue with those benefits.

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Years ago I listened to a speaker, Jim Pelley of Laughter Works, who
proposed that companies consider having a CEO of HOHO (Creative Employee
Organizer who Helps Others Handle Obstacles). The concept is great. I
jotted down these points on how to incorporate more humor into the work
place.
* use props such as humorous posters on the employee bulletin board or
in your work space
* decorate a plant with a red rubber nose, scarf, silly glasses, magic
wand, etc.
* create a humorous sick leave, bathroom or vacation policy to parody
those typical boring office policy manuals
* keep a cartoon or joke book near the telephone to relax and laugh
while you are on hold (not only will you feel better, you'll probably
carry over that smile and boost up the spirits of whoever answers the
phone thereby lightening up their day too)
* give out monthly awards for the most creative use of telephone time,
late-to-work excuses, expense account rationalization, etc.
* sing out your complaints (use whatever form of music fits you or pick
something that isn't you to really make a point)
* take a quick laughter break every two hours (you should walk away from
anything you're doing periodically anyway so why not make it fun?!)
* when you are having a "train-wreck-of-the-mind" or a "mental meltdown"
it's even more critical to step away in order to keep things in
perspective and restore your positive outlook.
* Jim's a fun speaker - check his website at
http://www.laughterworks.com

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One of the reasons we respond to people with a sense of humor is that
humor implies control and command of a situation. If there is a crisis,
an emergency, a time of challenge - and a leader can joke in the face of
it - it implies that a solution has been found, the right path to follow
has been determined. Humor is the ultimate expression of being cool,
calm, and collected. A great example is during 1944, the German army
had the 101st Airborne Division surrounded and trapped at Gastogner.
When the German commander presented an ultimatum to surrender to General
McAuliffe, he gave a one word answer: "Nuts!" It brought a smile to
Allied faces throughout the world and a new resolve to the men of the
101st to break out of the ring and move on to win - and they did.

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As I've stated in other articles, I keep material gathered from all
sorts of places. This came from a workbook somewhere. I hope you enjoy
it and consider posting it.

The New "Throw Your Weight Around" Diet
If you're worried about not getting all the exercise you need because
you're not jogging, swimming, or playing tennis, worry no more. A study
released by the U.S. Foreign Service Medical Bulletin shows that
managers do indeed burn up calories despite the sedentary nature of
their jobs. The following chart tells how, along with the number of
calories burned per hour.
* beating around the bush 75
* jumping to conclusions 100
* climbing the walls 150
* swallowing your pride 50
* passing the buck 25
* throwing your weight around (depending on your weight) 50 to 300
* dragging your heels 100
* pushing your luck 250
* making mountains out of molehills 500
* adding fuel to the fire 150
* wading through paperwork 300
* bending over backwards 75
* jumping on the bandwagon 200
* running around in circles 350
* eating crow 225
* climbing the ladder of success 750
* pulling out all the stops 75
* wrapping it up at day's end 12

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Have you ever wondered what those adjectives on job performance
evaluations mean? What follows are some enlightening definitions.

Quick thinking: offers plausible excuses for mistakes
Takes pride in his work: conceited
Tactful in dealing with superiors: knows when to keep his mouth shut
A keen analyst: thoroughly confused
Meticulous in attention to detail: a nit picker
Strong adherence to principles: stubborn
Demonstrates qualities of leadership: has a loud voice
Approaches difficult problems with logic: finds someone else to do the
job

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Keep personal anecdotes that are funny or embarrassing that happened to
you and use them to illustrate a point. This makes you real and builds
rapport. Make sure they are relevant to your message. Use humor to
make or enhance a point.

Create a humor file of cartoons, quotes, photographs, postcards, jokes -
anything you think is funny. Save them for meetings or presentations.
You can even open up the file when you need to cheer up yourself!

Think of the most bizarre or weird things that might happen if you
followed a certain course. Some brainstorming sessions have reaped a
real treat when they ended up coming up with the best solution when they
were being "silly" because they stepped out of "reality" and let their
creativity and imagination take over.

If you have a hard time being witty on your own - use a prop.
Visual aids help people remember the message and the speaker.

Humor can focus the group, remove tension from the room and be very
healing to the soul. A whimsical anecdote can set up or amplify a
subject matter. A good story is also an opportunity to build rapport
and set up a "sameness" between you and your audience.

Steve Allen said "Nothing is funnier than the everyday humor of
reality". During a boring or frustrating meeting, while on hold on the
phone, or while standing at the copy machine - think about situations
that had you shaking your head in disbelief or amusement and let those
memories bring a smile to your face.

If these ideas haven't provided you with some delightful diversions for
your work space or work place, then I don't know what we can do but
track you down and find your tickle spots! Bring some silly into the
serious and see how much more quickly and easily the day goes by.
Remember the old saying: All work and no play make Jack (or Jill or
anybody else) a dull person. Let your outer and inner dimples show -
it's healthy for your body, mind, and soul!

Copyright 2002 by Virginia Reeves. This article may be reprinted; inform the author via mailto:rainbowop@onemain.com. For more on creativity, success, communication, and enhancing your skills and talents for more growth,
please click on http://www.rainbowopportunities.ws or mailto:millionairemindset@GetResponse.com (for free bi-monthly e-zine)