A Little Humor Goes A Long Way

I was recently working from my home office. To put things bluntly, it had been a rather intense and challenging day. I was frustrated, my brain hurt and I was feeling overwhelmed. My office door slowly opened and my teenage daughter poked her head in quietly having just returned home from school. Seeing that I wasn't on the phone, she gave me a big smile and said, "Hi Dad!" The first layer of stress and frustration lifted thanks to her smile. I invited her in and we talked about her day. After a quick run down, she pulled out of her pocket a piece of Laffy Taffy and said, "I have a joke for you. Why did the spider cross the road?" I did not know why the spider crossed the road so she said, "To get to it's website."

OK, it was one of those jokes that makes you groan but for me, with the day I had had, I started to smile and laugh. It was just what I needed. In Juggling Elephants we say, "People sometimes need to laugh, relax, and not take themselves so seriously."

If you are finding yourself hitting the wall (literally or figuratively), having a bad day, frustrated and so on...maybe it is time for a mini intermission. Go for a walk, stretch, or call someone and just talk about the weather. Worse case, have a supply of Laffy Taffy, sit back, enjoy the sugar and a joke or two. It can make a difference in your day.

While you are at it, consider others that you work with and that they too may need a "pick me up" or a break every once in awhile. A good joke can go a long way...even if it is a groaner.