A newsletter dedicated to making work and workers more joyful, playful, and productive October 1999 Old Dogs and New Tricks One of the real misconceptions about work is that work and laughter do not go together. People tend to think that if you are laughing, then you can't be working. In fact, the opposite is true.
Research shows that people who laugh more frequently at work are much more productive.
They have less absenteeism, less tardiness, and increased creativity. So here's a new trick for you old dogs. Richland College has just instituted a new 10-minute laugh break once a week. Dru Bookout sent an email invitation to everyone in the college inviting them to stop what they were doing and take ten minutes out for a good, old fashioned belly laugh. After ten minutes of hearty laughter, everyone reported feeling energized, joyful, less stressed, and ready to return happily to the job.