Does anyone remember laughter? The pandemic and racial tensions that have given many hearts are heavy; laughter may seem inconceivable. The isolating conditions of quarantine are also making it even less likely we would engage in what’s usually a group sport. While acknowledging the seriousness of what’s happening around us, we want to recognize that, as Mika Liss says, nobody needs laughter as much as those who have none left to give. Mika is a research worker in the field of Neuroscience of Laughter, here we will cover her study about the topic.
The neuroscience of laughter
Lisa explains it as people say laughter is the best medicine. They’ve never had morphine. Good one, but not necessarily suitable advice. Laughter can’t treat actual pain, but it does have demonstrable health benefits (without the side effects of morphine). Laughing replaces the cortisol in our body with highly sought-after chemicals in the brain: dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins. Dopamine can enhance attention, learning, and motivation. Oxytocin is considered a sympathetic hormone and bonding chemical, when it enters veins it creates a sense of relatedness.
People can tolerate 15% more pain than laughing just a few minutes before. Laughing can improve immune function, and heart health, decrease anxiety, relieve stress, sense of security, and improve our mood. The physical act of laughter can lower heart rate and blood pressure and reduce muscle tension when tension is felt. A moment of laughter allows us to think more clearly and creatively and enhances relationships with our partners.
How to bring joy to the workplace:
There are many ways to lighten the mood when the heart is heavy. It might be fastest to find and share a funny meme or video. Know the right time for something fun. Opening a meeting is usually a good time for something fun. Leverage isn't followed by you're fired or those most ominous words like, we need to talk to be a great way to kick off and build relativity. It's humor that we can all inject. This can be a new habit for anyone on the team.
Be kind: If the joke is at someone's expense, make sure it's yours. Have a bad hair day? It's fun to call out. It is relatable and is often an easy laugh. If feeling insecure about something about your physical appearance, It's probably best to keep it to yourself. There's no need to self-harm or humiliate (or do to others), and it can make others uncomfortable - the exact opposite of the intended goal.
Best to avoid anything inappropriate:
In a world sharply divided over any topic, you can think of, a bit of laughter can bridge even the widest gaps. We already knew it intuitively; now we know the science to validate it. Mika Liss further adds in her words: If you’re hedging on whether it’s appropriate or not, it’s probably not. Best to avoid anything inappropriate or offensive to race, gender, or age. How to make that call? When in doubt, leave it out.