Top 10 ways to get out of any situation with humor

Humor and laughter give you many advantages. Studies have shown that 20 seconds of laughter can replace 3 minutes of strenuous rowing. International studies have shown that managers are more willing to hire people with a sense of humor, because they are better able to cope with their duties. Humor at work can defuse a tense situation, reduce stress, switch attention to new ideas, build good relationships and become a memorable leader.

Given all the advantages, it makes sense to hone your humorous skills at work. Here are 10 ways to get out of humor from any situation.

1. Seek joy in life

It is very important to seek pleasure in what is happening in your life. This can manifest itself in various forms:

• Less think about yourself and help others. Help is needed? Read "How to win friends and influence people" by Dale Carnegie.
• Laugh more often. Children laugh about 400 times a day, unlike adults, who do it only 15 times. Laugh at least 40 times a day, this will be 10% of what you did as a child.
• Regularly read humorous comics and look for jokes and funny comments.
• In any difficult situation, try to find something funny or funny.

2. Find out what makes you laugh

If you decide to laugh 40 times a day, you need to understand what can contribute to this mood and provide constant access to what provokes your laughter. Identify 107 things that you can laugh at. Unreal? Hardly! Why 107? Because 107 is funnier than 100. Here are a few ideas of what you can laugh at:

• 13 films;
• 11 television shows;
• 5 words or phrases;
• 19 stories;
• 5 cartoons;
• 7 audio or video;
• 7 TV presenters;
• 7 funny photos;
• 7 friends;
• Other things at your discretion.

Total - 107 funny things. You can collect and save them in order to use if necessary, when you need inspiration.

3. Use your own comic material

Personal experiences are the most authentic sources of humor for effective leadership. Look with humor on the situations that occur in your life:

• Funny things that you said, or someone told you.
• Oversights (physical, interpersonal or psychic).
• Confusing moments or unexpected incidents.
• Times for change or training.
• Difficult life circumstances (they can be sources of humor).

4. Take over the experience of others

In addition to your own experience, you can borrow and adapt someone else (but not steal).

Part of this experience you can borrow in accessible sources. You can just "google" funny pictures, witticisms or videos. The most common sources that can be adapted are cartoons and jokes of comedians.

• You can use cartoons in various ways, showing them in a presentation, telling as a story or using as a highlight for a new humor.
• Jokes or funny phrases from leading comedians is another source that you can change and adapt in your personal or work situation. Watch a lot of comedy videos and learn from professionals how to do it right.

5. Study your audience

When you use humor, you need to be careful not to go beyond acceptable limits. To understand this, you need to first study your audience:

• Pay attention to how managers treat humor.
• The composition of the audience directly affects what type of humor can be used.
• Make fun of your audience by loving.

6. Know the rules and boundaries

Humor, which is quite acceptable for a comedian on stage, can not always be used in a work environment. At work, you should avoid harmful jokes or pranks, sarcastic remarks, as well as religious, sexual, ethnic and racial topics. Do you think that you know the situation at work well enough to not step on this shaky ground? Do not do this. You can not be completely sure how such jokes are perceived by colleagues at work, so it's better not to risk your place in the company.

To make sure that your humor is safe for the workplace, use some filters. You can use a joke only if all of the following is confirmed:

• I can tell this to my mom.
• I will not be angry if I myself become the object of the same joke.
• Everyone in the team is able to understand this humor.
• This does not violate the rules of the company's conduct.

If at least one of these statements you answered "no", then you need to change your idea or start over.

7. Overcome yourself

True leaders do not take themselves too seriously. They are able to laugh at themselves and let others do it. Also, leaders can use self-destructive humor, which understates talent, career growth and achievements.

However, it is not necessary to use such humor in any situation. It is most effective and expedient to use:

• In situations where you feel comfortable and confident.
• Where your credibility and competence are clearly established.
• In situations where you are well acquainted with the interlocutors.

Remember, when trying to do self-destructive humor elsewhere, you must share the opinion of the person and take into account the situation.

8. Do you need ideas for humor? Just look around

There are always amusing and comic situations in the workplace. Humor comes from exaggerations, word games, misunderstandings, ambiguities, contradictions, paradoxes and inconsistencies. If you work in any type of business or in a corporation, then every day you see situations that can be beaten.

Your role as a leader is to use humor to let others feel good. But you can not use it when excited, as this can lead to meanness.

9. Surround yourself with a positive

If you want to feel joy and frivolity, surround yourself with positive people. These are people who can easily laugh and make others smile.

Develop relationships with this type of people. Spend time with them and learn from them how to use humor. You can choose 3 or 4 people who will become an informal comedy team. Consider the opinions when you offer new ideas for raising the mood of the team.

10. Immerse yourself in fun

Ultimately, for a leader it is very important not only to become a positive person, but also be able to share a good mood with others. Here are some final tips that you should not forget about:

• Practice your humor in a comfortable environment and try to find out what works and what does not. Only after that, joke in a large audience.
• Give your "permission" to what you can relax and smile in the workplace. This can be expressed in words as well as in facial expressions or actions.
• Try to create a fun atmosphere at work.