Many of us kid around with our colleagues. Sometimes we could take the “shots” in ways they are not intended and be offended. Often this is unnecessary, no harm has really been done.
Friendly interplay like teasing and practical jokes are typically a sign of affection. We rarely tease or joke with those we dislike. It is when the kidding stops that I would worry.
Keeping it Fun
Humour and kidding around can contain a hint of truth and some messages for our consideration but this indirect way of passing information is more likely to have a positive effect and cause less pain.
Work , that is mental or physical effort focused on a specific purpose or result, is generally considered serious and treated as such by most of us.
Humour and other lighthearted attempts to make the environment around work fun can be create tools for motivation and even increasing efficiency.
Enjoy Yourself
While work is a serious endeavour, with accountabilities and consequences in does not have to be painful and without joy. Kidding around, exaggerating scenarios even using sarcasm can all lessen the sting of serious focused intense and stress causing work.
When someone is poking fun at you accept it with the good humour it is more than likely intended and perhaps even return the salvo. Make the mundane interesting.
This is not to say you shouldn’t focus on the task at hand or put the majority of your energy into your work, but not surprisingly practicing little humour, joking , spoofing, etc can be a real energizing activity enabling you to work even better.
