Humour, the joy of jocularity, has benefits that are actually measurable. Some of the correlations on the relaxing power of laughter:

100 laughs = 10 minutes of aerobic benefits from a rowing machine

15 minutes of laughter = relaxing effect of meditating for eight hours.

10 minutes of laughter = relaxing effect of two hours sleep It has been found that laughing lowers the blood pressure, releases natural painkillers (endorphins) and boosts the immune system.

There are many ways to bring humour into the workplace, from a laughter bulletin board, to a joke of the day. You might even consider “humour breaks;” they are much healthier than cigarette breaks.

The times are changing but we have the same 24 hours in a day. We telecommute, e-mail and yes even surf the web. The changes in business in the past 15 years is the largest change we have seen. So, call that humour meeting at times and call it “Enhancing Morale”, or “Stress Evaluation and Reduction Plan;” or whatever you want, call one.

Consider adding a section of each meeting to humour, even two or three minutes. As humour becomes more a part of your business, the more it will be perceived as acceptable. With humour in every meeting there would be a portion that everyone would look forward to. Humour, as a natural part of communication, also helps break the ice, allows people to feel more at ease, and tends to lead to a higher level of agreement.

For generations, sales people have used humour to make it easier for the customer to make his or her purchase. By having humour become an integral part of work, employees start associating work with fun. So, start today. If you focus on looking for fun and laughter, then you’ll achieve it — and its advantages.