Laughter & Leadership

Business is serious stuff – sometimes too serious, especially for women trying to get ahead in traditional corporate cultures.

A little levity can make the workday more pleasant and even improve your health, says Ann Pardo, director of life management at Canyon Ranch. “A good belly laugh recalibrates the body’s CO2/oxygen balance, strengthens the diaphragm and abdominal muscles, massages the heart and other organs and stimulates the cardiovascular system.”

She adds that women who see humor in the world are able to “reroute anger, reframe fear and escape from stress.”

Ready for a laugh?

Make work more fun by posting photos of management as children, encouraging spontaneity and hiring employees who have a sense of humor. Plus, here are 22 other ways to laugh with your co-workers.

My Little Sister’s Work Jokes will make you chuckle about everything from aging to 10 common employee ailments, including the “Macy’s One Day Sale Flu,” to “My boyfriend’s got the week off so I’m too contagious to come into the office.”

Still need more? Parado suggests retelling work-appropriate jokes you like, watching comedies and enjoying the antics of your pet. At work, get others in on the laugh. Laughter strengthens working relationships you already have.

Bonus PINK Link: Using humor can help you be a better leader and inspire others.

Minute Mentor: What’s your biggest embarrassing moment? In this Minute Mentor segment, a top woman in the hospitality industry shares how humor helps her recover from hers.

By Cynthia Good

“What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.” Yiddish Proverb