Fun at work is not just nice to have

Why should you have fun at work? Aren’t you being paid to work, not to have fun? 

When you’re having fun, your brain releases the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is a major brain booster. When your brain is flush with dopamine you think faster and learn faster. This is fantastic for your performance at work. 

I once had a colleague who used to make everybody laugh. He didn’t add much value otherwise, but I still think that his presence had a huge return on investment. Keep those folks around because laughter provides bursts of dopamine–and dopamine makes it easier for you to get into flow. And when we are in flow we can be up to five times more productive.