Add humour
Humour is a superpower for building connections anytime, anywhere, and it doesn’t lose its punch in the virtual world, either. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain (books were written about laughing one’s way out of illness). A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after. Humour and playful communication strengthen relationships by triggering positive feelings and fostering an emotional connection.
Most laughter does not come from telling jokes. You can only enjoy a laugh with other people when you take the time to really engage with them, so it is the social aspect that plays such an important role in the health benefits of laughter. In this way you kill two birds with one stone – you invest attention in your virtual connections and inject humour into them to increase joy and resilience.
Wondering how to bring humour into the virtual world? You can
- Share a very short film snippet you saw on social media (your kids are guaranteed to have quite a few of these)
- Share a funny story or a really good joke
- Invite someone to share something funny that has happened to them since you last ‘met’
- Check out this course or, better still, check in with the funniest member of your team.
