laughter into the workplace is actually a natural extension of the same concept that has made Google so successful.
The typical cubicle style office does not encourage creativity, but a crazy wacky one does. Not all companies have the luxury of creating virtual playgrounds for employees, but there are other ways to encourage creative thought.
What are some other ways in which humor can boost creativity you might ask? One thing is for sure, bringing your sense of humor to the workplace is an effective and very easy way to put more fun into work. All companies eventually get to that place where old solutions are simply not effective any longer and it is certainly true that new problems are always creeping up.
People who have a sense of humor tend to be much more creative, much less rigid in their thinking and even more willing to embrace new methods and ideas.
One way humor adds to creativity is by distraction. Going back to the theory of a watched pot never boils creative solutions are more apt to come forth when someone is distracted by something like humor. Humor helps stretch your mind and it helps you look at problems in a whole new way. Humor helps you make connections and see things that you wouldn't normally see. Sometimes solutions are often found the moment you walk away from a problem because continually staring at the same old problem for hours on end does nothing for your creative mind.
Humor helps take the pressure off much like a pressure cooker releases steam. It helps you emotionally distance yourself from the problem at hand and it helps you not take life quite so seriously.
People even learn better in a more creative atmosphere because humor helps you remember things better.
If you really stop to think about it, most of us spend more time with our co-workers than we do with our own family, so finding ways to have humor in the workplace is critical. Humor helps us to be more resilient and it helps us regroup and re-prioritize.
According to researchers who study the brain, there are three parts of your brain that light up when you laugh at a joke:
In many ways, humor is an attitude and a set of skills you can develop as a coping mechanism. When you face problems with a sense of humor, you can more easily deal with the ups and downs of life. When you learn how to essentially lighten up, life becomes much more bearable. Laughter can help you ride those turbulent waves that life throws you and it can help you heal and even help you tap into your creativity by helping you think differently. Humor can help you maintain your sanity by helping you remember not to take life so seriously.
What are some other ways that humor and laughter can help boost your creativity you might ask? According to Albert Einstein:
Albert Einstein certainly understood a thing or two about creativity. Creativity is highly rewarded in companies because it helps companies maintain a competitive edge. Creativity is really nothing more than problem solving; it is looking at an old problem in a whole new way and laughter can certainly help you look at things differently. Laughter helps take the edge off and it helps you release endorphins, which help you feel better. When you feel better, you tend to be more creative because you don't feel such pressure to perform.
Everyone has this ability to be creative, but not everyone taps into it. Some of us merely need permission to call ourselves creative and we simply need to allow our more creative side to flow.
Laughter helps you feel more enthusiastic and more energized and this helps fuel your creativity. Brainstorming sessions are much more likely to be successful when laughter is involved. Laughter can create magic because it can help you tap into parts of your brain that you don't often use.
In many ways, if life is a journey, laughter is the shock absorber! Life can difficult at best and laughter can help us in many ways by helping us deal with the tragedy and the drama. Laughter should be thought of a sort of survival skill in some ways, because those who know how to poke fun at themselves have the advantage.
Stress can cause many issues, including health problems and laughing at yourself can help you ward off stress and tension. Sometimes we simply need to give ourselves permission to laugh and permission to be silly. Laughter helps keep our creative pumps flowing. Laughter helps us bring about our inner child, which helps us lighten our load. When you recall happier times and humorous moments, you feel better and more light-spirited. Laughter can be a wonderful teacher and a fabulous mentor because it reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously.
Laughter gives you the freedom to be playful and natural. Laughter gives you a pick me up when you feel down. People who are more jovial are much more fun to be around, let's be honest. People that tend to take life too seriously can be a real drag. Everyone has heard the notion that laughter is the best medicine and in many ways, that tends to be true.
Laughter can be very beneficial to organizations because it is a great way to enhance teamwork and cooperation.
Laughter creates emotions and helps us express ourselves and emotions can play a very powerful role in our lives. Laughter can have a very positive effect on employees because it helps people deal with problems much more effectively. Humor in the workplace can improve job performance and satisfaction, encourage creativity and even help diffuse conflict. Meetings are often the way companies communicate and a meeting that encourages laughter and open communication will often be a much more productive meeting than a dry serious one.
People tend to remember things better when conversations are infused with laughter and humor and laughter used strategically can enhance the effectiveness of teams. Laughter can help one lighten the emotional atmosphere and create a feeling of solidarity and collegiality and laughter can be a great ice-breaker. Shared laughter can help create a more relaxed atmosphere and it can help reduce tension and anxiety.
Humor can even be an effective leadership strategy because it helps people relate to one another better.
When we become responsible adults, we often lose our creativity, enthusiasm and joy. Laughter helps us keep a childlike atmosphere and it helps keep our creativity alive.
In order to more fully understand how laughter influences creativity, one must first understand how the brain works as far as creativity. Psychologists have been studying the concept of creativity for generations and there are conflicts with how creativity comes about. Some schools of thought state that creativity is inherent within you while others say that is a byproduct or an adaptation one learns along the way.
