Laughing It Off: Is this really an Employee Wellness tool?
Not officially, but let’s be honest: life, work, choosing the right nut milk, it can feel like a lot. You’re probably better than me, but this morning I noticed I had racked up 63,000 e-mails. I was also looking at back to back meetings 20 miles apart in LA traffic and the guy next to me at my workspace had never learned the phrase “inside voice.” In our current state of terrifying headlines, crashing investments and for some of us our looming empty nest future, I can think of just one non-pharmacological intervention: laughter.
Apparently I’m not alone because science (and common sense) say it’s exactly what we all need.
Why Laughing at Work Actually Makes Sense
When we laugh, our brains release endorphins—our body’s own little hit of happy chemicals. At the same time, laughter lowers stress hormones, boosts your immune system, improves blood flow, and gives your abs a tiny workout. Beyond that, when we laugh with people it creates trust! I remember a meeting with investors early on - Laughter On Call was yet not profitable and the room was tense. I told them a funny, true story about a ZOOM event where a young woman at a “Happier Hour” didn’t know she wasn’t muted. A few drinks in, she joined the virtual party mid-warm up to find people stretching and acting like their favorite bird. She blurted out “What in the F is this!?” Her colleagues scrambled to tell her, whispering, “Sara, you’re not muted, you’re…not muted.” It was found art and undeniably funny. The two men on my call started laughing. They then proceeded to tell me some of the real challenges they were facing with a hybrid workforce. We even brainstormed solutions!
Because laughter also helps your brain reset, enhances creativity, and improves focus. It’s like a system reboot—if we were computers instead of less efficient but more emotionally available, humans.
5 Easy Ways to Add More Laughter to the Workplace (virtual or in-person)
1. Start Meetings with Something to Laugh About
Kick things off with a funny story, a meme, or a joke that won’t alienate half the room. We’re all about affiliative humor! The kind that makes people feel good. A little light self-deprecation, a story about your dog, your kids’ soccer team, your mother in law - okay maybe not that last one. Getting people to laugh at the top actually does break the ice, lighten the mood, and make meetings feel a little less soul-sucking.
2. Host a Laughter Yoga Session
Sound ridiculous? It is. But that’s the point. I used to joke that Laughter Yoga was neither laughter nor yoga. Until I tried it. Laughter yoga combines deep breathing with fake laughing until it becomes real laughing. Which it does! It’s weird, liberating, and surprisingly therapeutic.
3. Create a “LOL” Slack Channel
Memes, dad jokes, weird cat videos—this is the safe space for all things silly. Laughter, it turns out, is a team sport. In fact we are thirty times more likely to laugh with people than we are alone. And sometimes it starts with a shared SpongeBob GIF.
4. Celebrate the Absurd
Give out awards like “Most Embarrassing Text” or “Loudest Keyboard Typist.” Little known office equation: recognition + ridiculousness = instant morale boost. Plus, nothing bonds people better than inside jokes.
5. Let Humor Be Part of Your Culture
Encourage people to show their personality, crack a joke, or react with an emoji without a) feeling like they are going to be made fun of - the worst! Or b) feeling like they’ll be reported to HR. Unless their joke should be reported to HR—then, yeah, definitely don’t encourage that.
But What If Humor Backfires?
Stranger things have happened. Which is why you need a “kindness-first” policy. Punching down? Not funny. Most things Dave Chappelle would say? Probably not. Passive-aggressive sarcasm in feedback? Definitely not.
Here’s a new acronym for humor at work: PIP! Positive, Inclusive and…Professional-ish.
Laughter Leads to Loyalty
Companies like Zappos and Google know this. That’s why they lean into fun, inside jokes, goofy traditions, and general weirdness. People reportedly stick around because they enjoy the vibe—not just the dental plan.
It’s definitely been proven that happy employees are more productive, more loyal, and far less likely to rage-quit over a printer jam.
Laugh More, Work Better
Laughter won’t fix every problem - particularly at work, or with surly teenagers, a tense marriage, a stock market crash, a real estate bubble bursting or a dog peeing on your couch. But it will make these problems easier to deal with. And in terms of work specifically—if you’re going to survive budget season, software overhauls, or the annual corporate retreat, you may as well do it with a laugh.
Kidding aside, weaving laughter into the workplace requires intentionality, cultural alignment, and leadership buy-in. But when done right, it creates more than just giggling. It helps build resilience, strengthens relationships, and fuels the kind of energy that’s creative and productive.
So, go ahead. Crack a joke. Share a cat video. Start a meeting with a laugh. Your workplace, your people and your own life—will be better for it.
Got a funny work story?
Send it to me at Dani@laughteroncall.com and we may just feature it in our upcoming newsletter!
