Originally found at HR Professionals Magazine

There are many articles highlighting the value of incorporating humor at work. As adults, we often forget how much embracing humor can help us with everyday life. When was the last time you, as an adult, engaged in the same activities you enjoyed as a kid, like coloring in a coloring book, jumping rope, playing video games or singing as loud as you can way off-key? 

Chances are, you can think of many things you did as a child that you don’t do now. Even though you likely did some or all the above activities, and you may even do some of them now, your adult family members or colleagues might find it peculiar if you, for example, sang as loud as you could off-key. 

Should you jump rope at work? Maybe! Imagine going to a work meeting where the icebreaker activity is a jump rope contest. You might either enjoy or cringe at the idea of jumping rope now, but jumping rope at work is random and unexpected. That unexpectedness can make room for humor. You might even be smiling at the idea, perhaps because you’re thinking of yourself, a coworker or a manager engaging in a jump rope contest at work, which could be humorous.

...The following studies, among many others, show a link between humor and increased productivity....

Finally, Romero and Cruthirds (Romero, E. J., & Cruthirds, K. W. (2006). The Use of Humor in the Workplace. Academy of Management Perspectives, 20(2), 58–69) remarked that humor provides enjoyment to offset work tasks that might become mundane, and with some careful thought and preparation, anyone can successfully use humor in appropriate organizational settings. 

Continue reading the original article at  HR Professionals Magazine.

Read the original research in Academy of Management Perspectives.