The Power of Comedy for Good Mental Health in the Workplace with Willy Kosovich

At some point, work became the antithesis of fun. Along with it, humor and laughter with wasting time or being frivolous and unprofessional.

This podcast clocks in at around 38 minutes. You can also listen to it on iTunes, stream on Google Podcasts or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So head out for a walk, or sit in the sun if you stay at home, and let Willy and I keep you company.

Loneliness, isolation, disengagement, indifference. These are a reality for many people in the corporate world. Wouldn't it be great if there was one solution to all of them? According to Willy Kosovich, there is.

The solution is comedy.

Comedy is all about social relationships.

Willy is a Kiwi comedian based in Berlin. After years of watching other people, he took the plunge and started doing stand-up in Germany. Why in Germany? "If you can make a German laugh, you must be doing something right, right?" he says.

Willy (right) and his business partner Jim (left)

Since getting on stage, he has learned a lot about himself through comedy. Now, together with his business partner Jim, he runs a company called Com4Com, where he teaches people how to write and perform jokes. 

He has gathered much wisdom from working his way up the comedy ranks and from genuine experiences inside companies from all over Europe where people laughed, cried, yelled in anger, and reacted to a variety of acceptable and unacceptable humor.

[mc4wp_form id="25727"] Willy says that there are many benefits to laughing and making jokes.

It all goes down to fostering human connection. Isn't that great to know? 

According to Cigna's 2020 Loneliness Index, the number of US citizens experiencing feelings of loneliness is on the rise. According to a multi-year EU research project, around 30 million European adults (7%) frequently feel lonely. Lonely people are often stigmatized. They are more likely to have poor health and reduced cognitive performance, mental issues, and pessimistic views.

Willy has discovered that laughter is the best medicine––and pretty inexpensive, too––even to address such a sensitive topic like mental health. Together with London-based startup Sanctus, Willy's company has created That's Mental: A Mental Night of Comedy, a level, open platform to have conversations about mental well-being in a new way.

"If you're more likely to laugh at other people, that tells you that comedy, laughter, and humor are social. They are for connecting people. If we harness that power, if we can make someone laugh, then we've created a relationship with them that might take a little longer to establish if we are not making them laugh."

Willy Kosovich

Humor, small talk, and fun are social activities that are part of the overall workplace context and can have an impact on well-being, engagement, and performance. Much like food and food activities and experiences. Paying attention to those small everyday interactions offers a rich and deep understanding of both human behavior and company culture.

If you're ready to infuse your (work)life with more comedy, listen to this episode ASAP.

Key Take-aways

You'll learn:

4:31 – The strategy that Willy took that led him to the stage the first time, and the types of jokes he performed.

6:18 – Why Willy and his business partner started Com4Com and the benefits of comedy and laughter for social relationships and wellbeing.

10:36 – How to plan workshops and create an inclusive and safe place for people to open up, starting from how you dress up.

14:09 – How the perception of humor changes from culture to culture and what to do to be more empathic.

18:54 – The power of laughter and comedy to address a delicate topic such as mental health.

23:01 – How there is no quick fix to mental health issues in the workplace and why perks are band-aids to a more widespread culture issue.

26:30 – Willy's top 3 tips to bring more laughter into our life.

30:25 – Why laughing about yourself is the bottom line to a more positive work environment.

32:42 – What makes a Nourishing Workplace and the work experience that made him realize the importance of human connection and gathering over food.

Your Turn

Now Willy and I would love to hear from you. What is your biggest insight or takeaway from this conversation, and how can you turn that insight into action? What steps are you going to take to bring humor and genuine social connections to your workplace, starting now?

Please let me know in the comments below. Your experience may help someone else who comes here have a meaningful breakthrough.

IMPORTANT: Share your thoughts and ideas directly in the comments. Links to other posts, videos, etc. will be deleted as they come across as spammy.

Thank you for tuning in and contributing to this conversation that helps create more nourishing places to work, and improve our quality of life.

If you know anyone who might find this topic of humor and mental health in the workplace useful, please share this episode with them.