Workplace Laughter: The Secret to Surviving Meetings That Should’ve Been Emails

Most workplace meetings could’ve been wrapped up in a two-sentence email… or better yet, a meme. Instead, we sit in conference rooms or on Zoom, pretending to care about PowerPoint slides that look like someone fell asleep on ClipArt. This is where humor swoops in, cape flapping, to save your sanity.

Cracking a joke in a meeting isn’t just about making Karen from accounting snort-laugh into her latte. Humor breaks tension, keeps people awake (take that, 3 p.m. slump), and makes the endless jargon—“synergy,” “circle back,” “low-hanging fruit”—sound slightly less like corporate Mad Libs.

Picture this: the boss drones on about Q4 projections, and you quip, “So basically, we’re aiming for ‘less broke’ next year?” Suddenly, people are smiling, shoulders loosen, and the meeting feels a little less like jury duty. Humor is like the free coffee of office culture—sometimes bitter, occasionally strong, but always necessary.

And it’s scientifically legit. Studies show laughter reduces stress hormones and boosts productivity. Translation: your bad pun about “spreadsheet therapy” could be the reason your team survives budget season. It’s also contagious—unlike that mysterious Tupperware smell in the office fridge.

Of course, humor has its limits. Don’t become the office stand-up comic who derails every agenda item. A well-timed joke is seasoning, not the whole meal. Think garlic: sprinkle just enough to make it delicious, but dump the whole jar and suddenly HR is involved.

So, next time you’re stuck in a meeting that could’ve been a GIF, remember: laughter won’t shorten the agenda, but it will make the clock tick a little faster. And in corporate survival terms, that’s a win.

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