1. Lighten Up With Laughter

2. Learning Objectives Describe the psychological benefits of humor Identify appropriate uses of humor in the workplace Develop an action plan for improving humor

3. Activity: All Tied Up 1.Participants gather in a tight circle. 2.Everyone put one hand into the circle and grab the hand of a person across from you. 3.Take your free hand and grab the hand of another person who is not standing next to you. The goal is to untangle yourself without letting the other person’s hand go.

4. Statistics on Laughter Findings of a Recent Study on Laughter In the workplace, a little more than 70% of people smile fewer than 20 times a day. People laugh 6 more times when with one other person versus 30 more times when around several other people. People laughed roughly 18 minutes a day in the 1950s. Now we average between 4 and 6 minutes of laughter a day.

5. Quote “The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.” Mark Twain

6. Initial Effects of Laughter Elevated pulse, heart rate, and blood pressure Increased respiratory rate and ventilation Acceleration in the exchange of residual air

7. Psychological Benefits of Humor Humor Gives us a sense of power Helps us cope Helps establish communication and rapport Relieves tension Increases learning and retention

8. Appropriate Forms of Workplace Humor Appropriate forms of workplace humor include Self-related jokes Remarks in reference to workplace issues such as a merger, difficult customers, etc. Jokes about personal characteristics

9. Inappropriate Forms of Workplace Humor Some forms of humor are never acceptable in the workplace: Sexual references Religious references Remarks made about race or ethnicity Stereotypes on age, gender, or social status Remarks made about physical appearances and attributes References made to weight Remarks about disabilities or physical limitations

10. Self-Reflection Can I honestly answer yes to the following questions? Do I laugh often during the day? Is it easy for me to laugh? Do I find it easy for others to make me laugh? Do I consider myself an overall humorous individual?

11. Did You Know? For every 10-15 minutes of consistent laughter, you burn an average of 10-40 calories. For every 100 laughs you have, you receive 10 minutes of exercise. For every 15 minutes of laughter, you receive the effect of at least 8 hours of meditation. For every 10 minutes of laughter, you receive the effect of 2 hours of sleep. These findings are amazing!

12. Survey There is nothing like a good laugh when the stresses of the day consume me. I feel a sense of relief and relaxation, like my problems disappear. A.I agree with this statement. B.I disagree with this statement.

13. Laughter: Best Medicine Laughter is and will always be the best medicine. It is interesting to know that adults laugh approximately 15-20 times a day, in comparison to children, who laugh roughly 300 times a day. Why is that?

14. Ways to Incorporate More Humor in Life Karaoke Comedy night Comedic movies Reminiscing on old pictures Remembering there is a kid who lives inside you — Let him or her free!

15. Laugh Effect: Develop a Plan 1.How can I incorporate more laughter into my life? 2.What strategies will I use to ensure that I begin to laugh more long-term?

16. Overall Goal The overall goal of workplace humor is to relieve stress and tension, lighten up the mood, and allow a short break, which will in turn allow employees to refocus with a fresh set of eyes on their set task.

17. Quote “Laughter is the shock absorber that eases the blows of life.” Unknown

18. Your EAP Services at a Glance Telephone and crisis counseling 24-7, 365 Face-to-face or telephone based short term counseling Professional referrals to community resources as needed Legal and financial services and referrals Eldercare/Childcare assistance and referrals Take the Highroad Program - $45 max reimbursement Employee and supervisor training seminars Unlimited Crisis Intervention Services (CISD) Enhanced website with interactive will preparation, identity monitoring, monthly newsletters, and more..

19. Questions? Thank You

20. Works Cited Gerloff, P. (2011, June 21). You're not laughing enough, and that's no joke. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-possibility-https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-possibility- paradigm/201106/youre-not-laughing-enough-and-thats-no-joke Griffin, R. M. (n.d.). Give your body a boost—with laughter. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/give-your-body-boost-with-laughter http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/give-your-body-boost-with-laughter Smith, M., & Segal, J. (Updated 2016, April). Laughter is the best medicine. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/emotional-health/laughter-is-the-best-medicine.htm Tarvin, D. (2011, February 10). How to deal with inappropriate humor. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://www.hrmtoday.com/featured-stories/how-to-deal-with-inappropriate-humor Weeks, A. (2015, November 10). How many calories do you burn each time you laugh? Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/308619-how-many- calories-do-you-burn-each-time-you-laughhttp://www.livestrong.com/article/308619-how-many- calories-do-you-burn-each-time-you-laugh Wolfe, L. (Updated 2015, January 13. When laughter creates legal liability risks for business owners. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://womeninbusiness.about.com/od/smallbusinesslegalissues/a/legalriskshumor.htm http://womeninbusiness.about.com/od/smallbusinesslegalissues/a/legalriskshumor.htm