Wellness in the Workplace
Laughter is key to wellness in the workplace. Become a Humor Being.
Did you know that laughter is essential for a healthy and productive workplace? If you didn’t, you do now. Whether you are in sales, in service, or in any other business using humor in your process will not only reduce stress, but improve morale, increase efficiency, and help you create lifelong relationships for success.
Humor = Wellness = Success in the Workplace
I am often asked to be the keynote speaker on wellness, stress or change management, and on the power of positive thinking in the workplace. Regardless of what audience I’m addressing, I always urge the attendees to unleash the power of their Humor Being on a daily basis.
Right now you’re probably wondering, “Great, Steve. I’ll do that. But what is a ‘Humor Being?’”
That, I can explain.
Let me start off by saying that I believe that everyone on this planet is born with their own internal Humor Being. Unfortunately, some people live their entire lives without ever knowing they have this powerful gift within them, let alone how to tap into it and make it work for them.
Before describing the characteristics of a Humor Being, let me first define what a sense of humor is. The dictionary says the word “sense” means “perception or awareness; and correct reasoning; or sound judgment.” The word “humor” means “turn of mind; to sooth temper or mood, or the mental quality that produces absurd or joyful ideas.”
So we can say, by definition, that a “sense of humor” means to be aware that you have a mental quality to turn your mind in an unusual way, or a need to produce joyful or absurd ideas that can sooth your very being. The initiative and proficiency by which you utilize your “sense of humor” however, comes from what I call your “Humor Being.”
Your Humor Being is part of your higher self. It’s the part of you that brings out the best of who you are when times get tough. What your Humor Being gives you more than anything else is emotional stability and peace of mind. Making a habit of invoking your Humor Being will turn you into a happier person with a brighter outlook.
Tapping into your Humor Being on a daily basis can help you cope with the natural ups and downs that come with success. Instead of going through life allowing unfortunate situations, unlucky circumstances, and foul people to suck the energy right out of us, we can turn to our Humor Being for a levity break.
As the stories in my book, “Get Your SHIFT Together” show, those who make the shift and live in harmony with their Humor Being have the ability to see the bright side of a negative situation. They embrace change more easily and make conscious choices to enjoy themselves during the process of whatever they are trying to achieve.
It doesn’t matter how old you are or what kind of position in life you hold. When you make the shift and find the laughter in the midst of any stressful or challenging situation, you can regain control.
When you make that shift to humor, your brain is no longer registering negative thoughts that cause you to be upset. In fact, your brain has switched gears and is focusing on whatever it was that made you laugh.
Even if your brain does go back to whatever it was that was upsetting, you won’t feel as overwhelmed as you were before. Why? Because in addition to signaling to yourself that your problem is laughable, you’ve also stopped the rampage of negative thinking.
You’ve calmed your nervous system down to the point where you can shift your thoughts and think clearly, reassess the situation, bounce back and take control. Now that’s power!
