Soul as the crumpled paper chains? Mouth squashed into a grimace of despair? Heart as sad and crumpled as the moulting tinsel taunting you from the corner? Oh dear. The new year is a dismal time indeed.

But it can also be a time for rejoicing. You can turn work into a place of fun. Ok, that doesn’t make you weep and transform your productivity, outlook and health into the bargain. No need for fancy potions: just grab your tummy and start guffawing. Yup, guffawing. Any laughing-kind of noise will do: once you get going you’d be surprised how well you can laugh. Half your pod will be giggling along with you, or at you.

Just imagine: if people stopped bloody whinging on about unimportant things, your work life would be immeasurably better. Laughing works your abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg and back muscles. Stress levels that build up within, ooh, about three seconds of reaching your desk are lowered and endorphin levels increased. It’s kind of like sex for the office, only without the inconvenience of carpet-tile burns. But to get this happy takes work. It takes commitment. And your laugh-out-loud-on-your-own moment is only the start.

Firstly, establish the rules. You will never engage in bitching after your security pass has swiped you into the building. So what if the boss’s PA has the smallest clothes? You will rid yourself of negativity and refuse to listen to other’s harping. Every negative comment will be countered with a positive. One sunny person can transform an office of grumps. But know your limits. If the laughs aren’t coming quickly, it may be time to consult professionals. Laughter workshops consist of you and your colleagues laughing at nothing together for about an hour. It’s closer to nervous hysteria than ho-ho-ho hilarity, but 20 minutes in and you’ll be giving a big jolly ha! Really. You can giggle, chuckle and hiccup.

I have a warning: never confuse jolly with slapstick. You know things have gone too far when a bucket of water falls from the top of every door, the Chuckle brothers are your comedy icons and you keep a spare custard pie in your handbag. Remember this: jolliness does not come with a goatee a la The Office’s David Brent, however neatly trimmed.