10 Ways to Add Fun to Your Work Day

    We all know that laughter reduces stress. Where do many people feel the most stress? At work. So it stands to reason that injecting some fun and humor into your business would have a positive effect.  Creating a ‘culture of fun’ in the workplace is a proven way to improve employee morale and productivity. It also fosters a sense of comradery and teamwork. There are lots of ways to adopt some fun into your company culture. Most of these ideas will cost little or nothing to implement, but can have a very positive impact on your bottom line.
   Allowing employees to decorate their workspace, both for everyday and special holidays, can be a big mood lifter. Being surrounded by things that make you smile…well…they make you smile! On birthdays or work anniversaries, deck out the honoree’s office in congratulations. Even a nice balloon or greeting card can give the warm fuzzies that make someone’s day.
   Encourage friendly competitions within the office. Whether they are individual or team challenges, fun contests (with a prize at the end) can get people motivated in a positive way. Getting your crew to meet a goal through amiable rivalry may just get you better results than you hoped for!
   If laughter is the best medicine, create opportunities for your employees to get a healthy dose. April Fool’s Day (April 1) is a perfect day to have a little lighthearted fun at work. We even have a few ideas for you! They are all easy, fun and (relatively) harmless capers and shenanigans to add a little levity to your office.

1. Mirror Image – Switch everything on someone’s desk/cubicle/office to its mirror image (phone from left side to right, etc.)
2. Foiled Again – Wrap all the items on an office mate’s desk in aluminum foil. All of them.
3. Dough-nots – Bring a lovely bakery box to the office. Instead of flaky pastries and sugary donuts, full the box with a vegetable tray.
4. Voice Activated Copier – Post a notice on your office copier notifying everyone that your copier has been upgraded and is now voice activated. Be sure to include the new “commands” (Fax, Copy, Scan, etc.) and the logo of your copier brand and provider. Sit back and listen for the fun to begin.
5. Up, up and away! – Fill a co-worker’s office (or car) with inflated balloons. Helium or good old hot air – either one is fun. Everybody loves balloons!
6. It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane! – Attach a personalized cape to the back of somebody’s deck chair. Bonus points if you do one for everybody!
7. Turn it Up – Set the volume on an office computer to the maximum. Don’t forget the speakers! Added points for turning up the volume on their phone, too. You can also do this one in reverse…reset the volume on your office mate’s phone, computer, etc. to zero.
8. Autocorrect MadLibs – Set the autocorrect on someone’s email or document software to replace a commonly typed word or name with something hilariously opposite.
9. Mad Mouse – Cover the laser eye on the bottom of a computer mouse with electrical tape. You can also use clear tape and color the tape over the laser with black marker. For an old school roller ball mouse, remove the ball (but make sure to put it in a safe spot so it can be replaced later!).
10. Tie a Ribbon – Replace the roll of tape from desk dispensers with spools of ribbon. Fasten the end to the blade with rubber cement or double stick tape. White will fool the most people.