When the American Psychological Association studies stress in the U.S., their findings routinely identify work as one of the top three sources of elevated anxiety. The other major sources vary, from money worries to fear of being abducted by zombies from space.
What do the psychologists tell us to do about workplace stress? Physical violence against irritating officemates is discouraged. Conversely, psychologists suggest humor as one response to workplace tension. When we laugh, the pituitary gland releases endorphins in the blood; they reduce pain and enhance emotions. Laughter also stimulates the release of dopamine in the brain. A neurotransmitter, dopamine heightens feelings of reward and satisfaction. Laughter has a lot in common with meth, plus it’s legal. Laughing also lessens anger (unless you’re laughing at the irritating officemates, which may increase their anger. But then, they deserve it). A belly laugh also exercises the diaphragm and contracts the abs, allowing you to ditch the yoga mat and skip all those crunches. If the only funny thing about your job is how much they pay you, maybe a little humor will help.
Laughter at work can seem as rare as a copier that never jams, however. You could try forcing yourself to laugh (fake smiles can trick your brain into releasing happiness hormones, though that seems cruelly deceptive). You might try to befriend someone with a compatible sense of humor (or be your own funny friend, if schizophrenia won’t add to your already high stress).
Alternatively, you could look for external sources of humor. Go to a website offering jokes about work and tell a couple at your next meeting. Find a book that parodies meetings and present an excerpt to the restless attendees. Get ahold of some humorous verse about the workplace and read a couple of stanzas. Think of this as a poetic pause, a rhyming respite to reduce the duress of stress resulting from workday woes. You can find examples on the Humorous Poetry tab. And below.
Whatever you do, hold on to your sense of humor. After all, it’s only a job, right? Be comforted by these thoughts:
A job’s an ephemeral notion
Undeserving all rites of devotion
No point to bemoan, we’re all on our own
Any progress requires locomotion
It’s tragic but true, we’re displaceable
Like off-the-shelf parts we’re replaceable
The job I am on tomorrow is gone
So my business card is erasable
See the article, “Three Ways Humor Reduces Workplace Stress” for more on this topic.
