Sophie Scott is a neuroscientist and comedian and presented the talk “Why we laugh” at TED2015 in March.

Renae: Laughter is contagious. Just thinking about laughter, makes you want to smile. As it turns out, laughter does more than just show us what others think is funny.

Laughter serves as a way to release group stress. A way to form bonds between friends and family. A way to regulate emotions and calm down situations. Sophie Scott states, “Everybody underestimates how often they laugh, and you’re doing something, when you laugh with people, that’s actually letting you access a really ancient evolutionary system that mammals have evolved to make and maintain social bonds, and clearly to regulate emotions, to make ourselves feel better. It’s not something specific to humans — it’s a really ancient behavior which really helps us regulate how we feel and makes us feel better.”

About two years ago my father had a heart attack. He was at home in Washington, and I was here in Utah Valley. I knew that I couldn’t go home for a few days and so just had to wait it out here. It was crushing. That night, my sister and brother and I sat together and told stories about our father to our roommates. To anyone walking by, we were having a great time, sharing stories and laughing. A lot. We were able to handle this huge emotional thing we were going through with laughter.

Now, if laughing can get a family through a heart attack, imagine what well-placed laughter can do in business.

Jordan: I always find myself needing a laugh on Mondays. So when I stumbled on Sophie Scott’s TED Talk on “Why we need laughter,” I was more than willing to indulge for 17 minutes. 

Do you laugh in your business? (Perhaps it’s stolen giggles under your breath as to not disturb coworkers, or are y’all are huddling around someone’s cubicle gasping for breath at the latest YouTube hilarity involving cats?)

Mondays in the workforce can often be perceived as miserable. So, it requires a little extra “umph” of good news or fun. Some employ positive outlooks and laughter using #MondayFunday or #MotivationMonday with social media posts. Perhaps laughter can start the week off right in our offices.

“… When we laugh with people, we’re hardly ever actually laughing at jokes. You are laughing to show people that you understand them, that you agree with them, that you’re part of the same group as them. You’re laughing to show that you like them. You might even love them,” Scott said.

If we accept Scott’s research as truth, then conversely laughter in the workplace can show that we are part of the same group and on the same team. Forgive me for the horrid pun, but then maybe we can laugh … all the way to the bank.

To learn all about laughter, check out Scott’s video here.