Fun at work? Exactly. If you can’t have fun at work, then why are you there? Fun and good work do go together. A joke can even reduce tension during stressful times at work. We all know the saying “Laughter is the best medicine” and inherently know it is true.
This doesn’t mean you feel like you have time to joke around with co-workers every day, but, if you think about those type of days, it is likely a minute or two wouldn’t derail you from the task at hand. Fun doesn’t need to take up a lot of time.
I joke around with colleagues regularly. It sure makes my days more fun. On the days when I am feeling overwhelmed by what I need to accomplish the humor may include sarcasm or be darker, but it still is part of my day. And it can help relieve tension and stress, even if only momentarily.
You have to leave your office for food, drink and the restroom, and likely will encounter others. Allow yourself to take a break, even if it is only a few minutes. It will help reinvigorate you to go back and work more. And when you see others having one of those days, see what you can do to lighten the moment for them.
You probably know the line from Dr. Seuss’s One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish: “These things are fun, and fun is good.” Fun is good. And if it’s good enough for Dr. Seuss, its good enough for you!
