Twelve Ideas to Have Fun at Work

In How to Be Happier Day by Day (1993, New York: Viking), Alan Epstein suggests that happiness is the result of active effort. There are things you can do each day to consciously build more satisfaction. If you want to have more fun at work, try out some of his ideas:

Just for one day, say hello to everyone you meet. Don't avoid people in the hallways, on the elevators or in the rest rooms. Make small talk (or even big talk) with everyone you see.
Do something completely out of character for you. If you're normally a complete extrovert, close the door to your office and catch up on paperwork silently. Or go to the bookstore at noon and read for lunch.
Think about someone you admire. Then, take the time to learn more about the person.
Plan a celebration for an occasion you wouldn't normally acknowledge. A thoughtful friend took the time to send her colleague flowers on the anniversary of her divorce with a short note that read: "Congratulations. You're better off without him."
Let go of a chronic irritation. Try pretending your boss's voice doesn't get on your nerves. Or that you don't mind your secretary's endless phone chats with her friends.
Trade roles with someone for a day-you do that person's job and let him or her do yours.
Compliment everyone you see. Try to be sincere. Don't tell the 300-pound delivery man he's looking thinner if he's obviously gained some weight. Instead, tell him you appreciate his efficiency (assuming he is efficient).
Surprise someone with a present. A law-firm office manager liked to occasionally deck the associates' offices with daisies. It wasn't expensive and added a special festive touch to an otherwise-tense environment.
Decorate your work space. At Baxter Healthcare's career center, manager Maureen Gold had a bulletin board filled with cartoons. Although job hunting may not be the funniest experience, there are enough spoofs about it to fill an entire wall. When candidates get weary, the cartoons help them laugh at their own situation.
Have a personal business card made up that dramatizes your life. An insurance administrator in the process of changing careers had cards printed up that read: "future Gemologist." These got her past the hurdle of anonymity, lightened up her networking efforts considerably and made it easier for people to talk with her about her career goals.
Leave a creative message on your own or someone else's answering machine. Two musicians with beautiful singing voices greeted all callers with a beautiful rendition of "We're not at home, we're not at home" that must have brought a smile to every caller's face.
Look for the absurd in difficult situations. The day after he lost his job, an AT&T executive in Omaha, Nebraska, decided to serenade his former colleagues on their way to work. As they approached the front door with their key cards, he was waiting with his guitar and a tin cup to begin his new life as a street musician.

"The highest form of humor is laughing at yourself," says Denise Evangelides. "The greatest thing about it is that you never, ever run out of material."

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Twelve Ideas to Have Fun at Work