I’ve heard it said that all work and no play make Jack a dull boy.
My name may not be Jack but I’m pretty sure I know how he feels.
The world of community mental health can be a scary one at times. My coworkers and I are often bogged down in talk of DSM diagnoses, difficult behaviors and challenging family situations.1 Our clients and their families are struggling with the most serious issues, including physical aggression, hallucinations and suicidality. We have to find ways to help our clients cope with these conditions, as well as teach their family members how to encourage their children’s development. We find success at different points along the way but the high points come along a lot less frequently than any of us would like.
Believe it or not, though, I still enjoy going to work.
Our office can be a stressful place, particularly when we’re preparing for an audit or when multiple families are experiencing crises at the same time. But our supervisors work to keep us at ease by checking in on us, telling stories and eating lunch together. They have created a culture of support and humor in the office, which has certainly helped make the difficult moments more bearable.
It should surprise no one that I have also taken on some personal responsibility for helping my coworkers to stay relaxed each day. Here are a few measures I’ve taken to keep my coworkers smiling.
1. Telling Jokes
When we’re at our desks and not in the field, we’re only divided by cubicle walls as we stare into the dull glow of our computer screens. We type up progress notes, plans of care and safety plans, working as hard to manufacture the documents as we do to keep our brains from turning to mush. Those are the situations when I start searching for mental stimulation, often to the chagrin of my colleagues.
CW: Aaron, do you know who was over by my desk?
Me: No, I didn't see. Why, is your stuff messed up?
CW: A little.
Me: Maybe it was Goldilocks.
CW: 🙄
Me (deep voice): Someone's been sitting in MY cha–
CW: Stop it.
— Aaron Yavelberg (@sleepingonedge) January 23, 2020
Remember this post from a few months ago? Not much has changed since I wrote it. There is one particular coworker who is usually the victim audience for my jokes and her eye-rolls and frustration are exactly the energy I need to keep flexing my dad-joke muscles.
2. Sports
I have to admit that my sports fandom has waned somewhat over the last few years. I no longer follow my favorite teams as closely as I once did, since I’ve redirected much of that energy into other priorities. That being said, I still keep a finger on the pulse of the sports world and bring that diversion into my office. I was the commissioner of our office fantasy baseball and football leagues for seven years and I organized pools for March Madness and the Super Bowl.
Did the effort I put into these leagues take away from my focus on my actual work tasks? For sure. Could my time and energy have been put to better use while I was at work? Undoubtedly. As I said earlier, my focus has changed recently; these two questions were major factors in my decision to forgo fantasy sports for the last two years. But, more importantly, did I make sure that everyone who participated had fun? Absolutely.
3. Pranks
I’m using the word “pranks” very loosely here. My work antics are harmless, good-natured and funny at their best and slightly bothersome at their worst. One April Fools Day found a coworker and me taping pieces of paper all over our colleague’s workspace, including his computer, desk, chair and the wall next to his cubicle.3 Sometimes I will move around the various objects on someone’s desk and just wait to see how long it takes them to notice. Again, this is pretty tame territory; hardly on the Jim Halpert-Dwight Schrute level. The point is that it breaks up the routine and makes people smile.
As I said, our work is rarely easy. Many of our families are trying to navigate tumultuous relationships, complicated bureaucracies and significant mental illnesses. We help them to shoulder their burdens but the work is often tiring. I keep my sense of humor strong to brighten my coworkers’ moods and lighten the atmosphere in our office.
National Have Fun At Work Day is at the end of this month (January 31) so let’s hear what you’ve got planned to keep morale up at your workplace. Do you sing at your desk? Do you and your colleagues play board games during lunch? Are you starting to plan early for April Fools Day? Let me know in the comments; I’m always looking for new ideas.
I was compensated by TOP Agency for this post but, as always, the views expressed here are my own. Seriously; you think anyone else would admit to using up all that paper on an April Fools joke?
1. And that’s just the people in our office! Badump-bump.↩
2. Spending time with my family is the highest item on this list. ↩
3. I searched but couldn’t find the photo we took of our handiwork so you’ll just have to take my word for it that this happened. Trust me, I’m as disappointed as you are.↩
