We are sometimes in the company of complainers. They drag down the mood of all they come in touch. Can we be accused of this demeanour on some occasions as well? Maybe it seems impossible to wear a happy face all the time. And it’s not easy to laugh at ourselves, particularly when we are feeling anxious and vulnerable. However, becoming willing to see the humour in our any foibles, learning not to take ourselves so seriously is well worth the effort. The lucky ones among us learnt this trait many years earlier, and we recognise them instantly. We generally love being around them, too.
Laughter is good medicine. Whether it is at ourselves or just at a situation or a smart movie, laughter lightens our mood, thus lightening whatever burden we might be carrying.
When we were growing, most of us had fears about financial instability, war, our children and our careers. Life does have many dangerous aspects, But we were never required to handle any of them alone. If we believe in the God of understanding, all the burdens were more readily accepted. That gave us more time to breathe more easily. Laughter was in the past was more frequent. It can be more frequent now, too. It ‘s merely a decision to see every circumstance with a lighter heart. It is so much more fun to laugh than to complain. It’s my choice today.
The type of humour you use also depends on how well you know the person. After the risque Internet cartoons, you forward to your friend in the next cubical can’t be sent to the supervisor! Also, remember that each has his or her limits as to what is funny.
Jest in Time
So how do you add courage and spontaneity to a dull day at the office? The trick is to loosen up a bit and find humour in everyday situations. In “301 Ways to Have Fun at work”, authors Hemsath and Leslie Yerkessay,” To infuse fun into your work environment, you must value pleasure as important, you must value fun as essential. Positive energy high self-esteem and motivation characterise a situation that fosters fun. Haven’t the vaguest clue as to what you should joke And when? You don’t have to be a stand-up comedienne with a bag full of gags. Simply joke about yourself, “I tell my colleagues about all the mad-cap adventures I have just getting to work. – Every day. ” says Natasha Hingorani, 24, marketing trainee. Self – deprecatory humour works well because it says, ” She can laugh at her foibles, she’s human, she can take a joke. ” And when to laugh at yourself you don’t risk offending others. Diversionary humour is another effective way of defusing a stressful situation.
So when tempers and reports are across the office, try to create a humorous distraction. It will give people a chance to calm down and see things from another perspective. ” Humor is a great stress buster. Any argument can be dissolved if your presence of mind to see the lighter side, says Piali Bai,27, events coordinator, “I use my wit to put across an awkward point which would otherwise rub people up the wrong way” Also consider what type of humour would be acceptable in your particular workplace.
For instance, if you work for an organisation where posting caricatures on the notice board is frowned upon, don’t expect to get away with hosting a Costume Day at the office.
It isn’t funny
“Good humour has nothing to do with playing goofy practical jokes and laughing at your boss’ silly one-liners. It has everything to do with people and not at them. If the other person doesn’t like your comment, it is not funny.,’ States Raote. Humour is in poor taste when you make wise crackles about someone to mask your jealousy/ aggression. When you cross over from being funny to being derogatory workplace tension shoots up, and office unity is fractured?
If you crack a joke at someone else’s expense, it can be more harmful than helpful than your since your colleagues are sure to avoid you, “says Sarina D’mello. 24, writer and producer of a dot com.
1. There has to be bond of trust so that your drool comments are not misinterpreted.
2. “Sexual innuendoes, racial slurs and religious bigotry are no joking matters. So, steer clear of them. These days, the issue of humour and political and correctness in the workplace is loaded. So, unless you want to make enemies, avoid being offensive. ” I played around with the scanned photographs of my Office’s Annual Day function and saved them as everyone’s screensaver: I changed my CEOs on his secretary’s body while her face got interchanged with the peon’s. The rest of my colleagues were given exaggerated facial expression and funny captions too. But this ticked off my colleagues and my boss had a firm word with me,” grimaces Bima Kapadia”, 23, graphic designer, “At that time, I thought it was a cool prank, but in retrospect, I realise that it broke the rules of propriety. When the jokes on you, it is not funny.”
The above original names changed and showed new ones.
