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27 February, 2016 by Kris

Benefits of Laughter

LWThere are plenty of benefits that laughter can bring; from breaking the ice when in unfamiliar settings to relieving your body’s stress levels, laughter is the gift that keeps on giving. So why not do a little more research into laughter and see what else we can get from it? This is exactly what Dr. Stanley Tan and Dr. Lee Berk from Loma Linda University have gone ahead and done.

Fun Ab Workout

Don’t get us wrong we’re not asking you to give up going to the gym all together but apparently laughter does play a role in toning your abs! Yup, that’s right! Every time you let out one of those deep belly laughs your stomach muscles expand and contract to define your six pack even further.

Laughter Lowers Blood Pressure

By reducing your blood pressure through a hearty laughter you reduce chances of suffering from a heart attack or stroke. Laughter is especially helpful for those who are unable to engage in more intense workouts. By using laughter as a cardio workout, your burn the same amount of calories as you would while walking at a slow to moderate pace.

Prompts Release of Endorphins

Endorphins play a vital role in helping ease chronic pain in our bodies and when we laugh they give our bodies a good feeling all over.

These are just some of the few benefits credited with laughter. If your organization or team would like to gain from the wide range of laughter benefits. Feel free to get in touch with Kris at info@laughterworks.com or give him a call on +61438545607.

Filed Under: Benefits, Benefits of Laughter, Kris, Laughter Tagged With: laughter

18 May, 2015 by Kris

The Laughter Secret to Improving Your Wellbeing & Performance – in Minutes

Twittables:

10 Minutes to More Health and Productivity with Laughter Therapy

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Need a Quick Boost Right Now?  Try Laughing!  Here’s how …

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As the famous adage goes “Laughter is the best medicine” and who would not agree to that. Laughter surely is the best natural remedy to so many of our problems. We all know a good hearty laugh lowers blood pressure. If you had a hectic lengthy day, watching a comedy show or a hilarious movie is the best way to lighten up your mood and get rid of that gloominess; laughter helps youLaughter is the best medicinein reducing your stress hormone levels too. But do you also know the benefits of laughter to your cardiac health and that it also benefits your T-cells? Yes, the laughter, that we all take for granted, is much more than we give it credit for. People who can’t do difficult exercises because of theirfrail condition, are advised to laugh often because laughter burns the same amount of calories per hour as walking with moderate speed.  Like stated earlier, T-cells, which are the cells responsible for the body’s immune system, activate when you have that full, joyous, satiated laugh.

Laughter Yoga is centred around the healthy benefits of laughter therapy. In fact most people make no distinction between the two. Just incase you’ve never heard of it here’s what Laughter Yoga is all about.

laughter is best

As the name suggests, it is an exercise to feel care free and laugh your heart out loud. Laughter Yoga, or Hasyayoga as many call it, is a type of exercise in which people laugh voluntarily, mostly in groups. Although it is famous among senior groups in recent times it has also become popular among the younger generation as well. The routine involves making eye contact with your group member or partner and having a whole hearted laugh. It doesn’t matter, whether your laughter is genuine or forced, it will benefit your physical and psychological health. Although it originated back in the mid-1990s, proper channelled sessions were started in 1995 by Madan Kataria. He started a Laughter Yoga Club in March, 1995. Despite the fact that it was totally a new idea, it soon gained momentum and by 2011 there were more than 8000 Laughter Clubs in 65 different countries.

Workplace laughter

The benefits of Laughter Yoga are not unknown. It has been scientifically proven that elderly people who have chosen Laughter Yoga to remedy depression, feel less depressed and more energetic and delighted. Not only does laughter mitigate depression but it also helps to reduce stress levels. The more you laugh, the more lively you feel. Laughter takes away your worries and tensions and helps you concentrate on your task. We all know too much worrying affectsthinking capabilities and productivity. We tend to become numb to our surroundings and sink deeper into a sorry state, which results in us falling ill and/or  depressed. Laughter on the other hand lightens up our mood and triggers T-cells which help us in keeping our immune system in top shape. Similar to aerobic exercise, Laughter Yoga increases your oxygen level and makes you feel more energetic and stress free. When you imbibe positivity you tend to emit it too and create a happy, healthy and positive environment.

Medical studies have proven that laughter and wellbeing are attributed to the release of endorphin in the blood stream. A noteworthy effect of this phenomenon is increase in the pain threshold which is assumed to be a by-product of the release of endorphin and has an opiate-like effect. As we all know a simple laugh can help spread some positivity, laughing can also help you to socializebetter. As you make it a habit to have a lighter mood and feel less stressed, you are more likely to enjoy meeting new people and making good friends.

laughing at the workplace

Many businesses have made a point of having a laughter session at the workplace in a bid to reduce workplace worries and stress and create a more energetic work environment. As Laughter Yoga is an inexpensive method to create a positive environment, organizations are more likely to take advantage of it. It requires no high tech machineries to be installed and it is a natural way to create a peaceful efficient atmosphere. According to Dr. William Fry of Stanford University, a mere 10 minutes of vibrant joyous laughter is equivalent to a full 30 minutes of exercise on a rowing machine. Imagine how helpful laughter would be in increasing your blood circulation level and balancing the oxygen supply.

hysterical laughter

A good mood and stress-free mind is the reason for better performance too.  Organizations know that happy employees mean greater productivity so arranging for a laughter therapy session in the organization helps cheer people up. This happiness releases neuro-peptides which help in better functioning brains. The better the brain function, the better you are at performing your tasks. Other benefits organizations receive by having a laughter therapy session at the workplace are:

  1. Strong, bonded team as laughter helps in creating an easy environment and people find it easy to connect with their colleagues.
  1. Better enhanced communication skills. When employees are happy, they feel relaxed and are able to communicate better. Better communication can help personnel in Sales and Marketing Sectors as it requires lots of healthy conversation with potential customers.
  1. Stronger attention span. We all know human minds cannot work with the same diligence and determination after 90 minutes of continuous work. After 90 minutes, the mind needs to take a few minutes of rest. If instead of that, the employees have a full 5 to 10 minutes of a laughing session; their brains will get the requisite energy boost needed for creative thinking at the workplace.

Laughter Workshop

Now that you all know the benefits you can achieve through laughter yoga, I’m positive you too want to be a part of these fun filled practices. Many corporate organizations arrange for various kinds of laughter seminars and sessions.

Laughter sessions may be as long as 3 hours or as short as 30 minutes and will help your people learn how to release their stress by doing some simple laughter exercises. Also through use of these humorous exercises, employees learn to bond more easily with each other and learn to cooperate and generally enjoy each other’s company. If our minds and bodies are not at peace, we will never be able to give our best shot at work, these laughter seminars are your way to release your stress and work with healthy minds.

Now that you have learnt so much about the laughter and its benefits, why don’t you try some simple and easy laughing exercises yourself and have a good hearty laugh. Fake a smile and gradually start laughing out loud, trust me laughter is contagious you will eventually start laughing genuinely. Or why don’t you think of something stupid that you might have done in the past and have a good laugh over it.

Kris is a laughter speaker who delivers laughter workshops and laughter seminars throughout the year for corporate clients as well as small teams. If you would like to learn more about the laughter sessions that Kris offers why not give him a call on +61 438 545 607 or email info@laughterworks.com.au.

Filed Under: Benefits, Kris, Laughter, Laughter Workshop, Uncategorized Tagged With: Benefits of Laughter, corporate laughter, Laughter in the workplace, laughter therapy, workplace happiness

4 May, 2015 by Kris

10 Reasons to Laugh; No.7 is my Favorite

Twittables:

Need a Laugh? The Secret of the Most Powerful Team-Builder

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It’s True! Why Laughter is Good For Losing Weight

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Doesn’t laughter make you feel good? Doesn’t laughter make you just want to get along with people? Especially the ones you’re laughing with? Laughter brings you into the moment and it helps you focus. All the things we want in the workplace; collaborating with others, getting along with our peers and keeping focused on what we’re doing in the present. So why do we keep it out of workplaces? Nothing builds teams and bonds like laughter. It is the best team builder.

laughter and teambuilding

Organizations often spend a lot of time and money on team building workshops and/or exercise. Things like treasure hunts, cook-offs, if you’re really adventurous you might go abseiling, puzzles, games, tags of war- all sorts of things. And what they want to achieve at the end of that is people coming together; having a good laugh and understanding each other as people not just as fellow “workers”. It is after all the personal bonds that build good workplace relationships. So why not cut straight to the chase and instead of having an elaborate team building workshop hold a laughter session. It’s easy, quick and everyone can participate.

Here are some reasons why laughter is the best team builder:

  1. It requires no elaborate set-up; you just have to have people turn up.
  2. It’s done standing and moving so you get some good exercises as well and it’s not a sedentary activity.
  3. There are no complicated rules to understand.
  4. It’s very time flexible you can have a laughter session in everything from 10 minutes to 2 hours.
  5. It’s very difficult to offend anybody; you don’t have to worry about being politically correct- you just do a laughter session (PS: In laughter sessions there are no jokes it is straight out laughter without the jokes so it is very safe).
  6. Everyone understands how to laugh so it involves everybody.
  7. As well as bonding laughter is good physically for you. It releases oxytocin and all sorts of feel good chemicals.
  8. Laughter helps you lose weight and loosen up.
  9. You can run laughter sessions at any location; inside an event, at a meeting, at a teambuilding session especially at a conference.
  10. And best of all laughter is a lot of fun.

So next time you want to improve performance and productivity at your workplace forget all the difficult, challenging setup team building exercises that are complicated and sometimes not that much fun and go straight to the heart of it.

Why don’t you get yourself a laughter session with Kris. To get in touch call +61 438 545 607 or email info@laughterworks.com.au.

Filed Under: Kris, Laughter, Laughter Workshop, Uncategorized Tagged With: Benefits of Laughter, corporate laughter, laughter, Laughter in the workplace, laughter therapy

20 April, 2015 by Kris

Creating Harmony at Work

Workplace laughter may just be the best thing you can do for your employees – and your bottom line. Recent research suggests that a laughter seminar can help you burn calories, cut healthcare costs, boost blood flow and even assist your arteries for a healthier heart and body. Not only this, laughter also helps you achieve a better mental state, and perform better all day long.

laughter therapy

For organizations and personnel heads, investing on a good laughter workshop creates more harmony in the workplace. Other benefits include:

  • Lower stress hormone levels
  • Better immune system
  • Pain reduction
  • Muscle relaxation
  • Cardiovascular conditioning
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Better mood

Laughter therapy is not just limited to a laughter seminar or workshop. You can have your daily dose of it through a few simple steps:

  1. Learn to laugh at yourself – learn to accept your mistakes and practice laughing. Sulking on every mistake you make will not do any good. Learn to laugh at your mistakes. You can move forward faster and become more productive.
  2. Don’t take life too seriously – see the lighter side of life. Enjoy the people around you and watch something to lift your spirits up. Life is too short to spend it miserably. There are times you have to contemplate about things thoroughly but it does not mean you have to be serious all the time. People will find it easier to work with you if you can bring positive vibes into the fold.
  3. Read something funny or subscribe to an email list or newsletter – reading something uplifting or funny to start the day can have a great impact throughout your working hours.

Book a laughter session for your workplace and/or conference and see the benefits for yourself.  Contact us:  info@laughterworks.com.au, or 0438 545 607.

3 Ways to Laugh Up At Work. via @crispopp http://t.co/pKzi9bFjaE

— Cris Popp (@laughterpopp) April 19, 2015

 

Filed Under: Benefits, Conferences, Happiness, Kris, Laughter Workshop, Uncategorized Tagged With: Benefits of Laughter, corporate laughter, Laughter in the workplace, laughter therapy, laughter workshops

23 February, 2015 by Kris

For People Who Don’t Take Laughter Therapy Seriously

The movie Patch Adams starring Robin Williams popularized the use of laughter in combination with other medical treatment. Laughter therapy also known as humor therapy is the use of the laughter process to improve wellness and health. In recent years, the use of laughter therapy has become endemic.

Laughter Workshops

According to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) humor therapy has been around for many centuries. For instance:

In the 14th Century Henri de Mondeville renown as the “Father of French Surgery” advocated for the use of laughter to help surgery patients convalesce. He notably advised his colleagues to allow the patients’ friends and relatives cheer them up anyway they could including by telling them jokes.

16th Century English scholar and author of “The Anatomy of Melancholy” highlighted laughter/humour as the remedy for melancholy. Martin Luther also in the 16th Century encouraged people who took part in his pastoral counselling to surround themselves with happy company.

William Beattie, a famous English physician of the 18th Century used humour in treatment of his patients. Starting in the mid 80’s clown doctors have been used in numerous children’s hospitals around the world.

Laughter therapy is a composite of various techniques including:

Laughter Conferences

  • Fake laughter
  • Appropriate jokes
  • Laughter greetings
  • Funny videos/props

Is Laughter Therapy’s Efficacy Proven?

For a long time scientists have been conducting studies to determine the effect of laughter on health and the body.

When we laugh we stretch our body and face muscles, we breathe faster, and our blood pressure as well as our pulse goes up. Some people believe that a good dose of laughter has the same effect as an easygoing workout. Steve Wilson, a consulting psychologist and laugh therapist says that the effects of exercise and laughter are very similar, a view that is held by William Fry, who has pioneered laughter research. According to Fry, it takes only one minute of laughter for the heart rate to reach the level it would after ten minutes spent on a rowing machine.

What’s more, 10-15 minutes of laughter burns 50 calories according to research conducted by Maciej Buchowski of Vanderbilt University.

How Laughter Affects Our Bodies

Blood sugar levels. A study conducted by Keiko Hayashi, a professor at the University of Tsukuba in Ibaraki, Japan shows that laughing after a meal lowers blood sugar levels naturally.

The study had a total of 19 subjects each suffering from type 2 diabetes and whose blood-sugar measurements were taken two hours before and after a meal. On the first day all the respondents attended a boring 40-minute lecture after dinner. On the following day the patients attended a manzai (Japanese stand-up comedy) following dinner. Their blood sugar levels went up after the comedy as compared to their measurements after the lecture. The study’s conclusion was that people with diabetes should laugh daily.

Immune Response. The lymphatic system in the human body plays a crucial role in aiding the immune system to get rid of waste product and excess fluid in interstitial spaces between the cells. It also acts as a delivery system that transports nutrients from the digestive tract and to the cells where they are needed. Since unlike with blood flow there is no natural pump involved, the lymphatic system makes use of exercising and breathing to remove waste from the body.

According to doctors, deep breathing is characterized when the diaphragm flutters up and down at a quick rate. This causes the expulsion of lymph from the bloodstream at a rate 15 times higher than the normal rate. When you laugh deep from your belly, the diaphragm acts as a powerful pump that assists in the removal of waste from your body. By increasing the flow of lymph through laughter more antibodies are produced by the body and hence an enhanced immune system.

Blood Flow. Scientists from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore carried out a study that proved that laughter and healthy blood flow are linked. According to their research laughter causes the endothelium (tissue lining blood vessels) to expand hence increasing the flow of blood.

A group of 20 healthy volunteers with an average age of 33 were shown two movies each at its climax. The opening scene of Saving Private Ryan caused the group to have reduced blood flow while those who watched King Pin (a comedy) had relaxed blood vessels thus had a smoother blood flow. According to Michael Miller, Director of Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, laughter has the same effect on the endothelium as aerobic activity without the muscle tension, pains and aches, of course.

Laughter at the Workplace

What we’ve always known is right! There’s a correlation between laughter and workplace productivity. According to Chris Robert of the University of Missouri-Columbia’s Robert J. Truslaske Sr. College of Business having a light atmosphere at work can have a positive effect not only on output but on employee retention as well.

Laughter Seminars

According to him the ability to be humorous is linked to creativity and intelligence both of which are highly valued in any workplace. There seems to be a strong link as well between humour and positive emotions. Likewise there’s a link between workplace performance and positive emotions.

Even though there’s not sufficient research showing that humour directly affects employee performance there’s evidence to suggest that individual performance in the workplace is enhanced by the positive affect. This not only increases productivity but also the ability to communicate well with others; customers, boss, and co-workers. There’s increased cohesiveness between members of the team as well.

To understand how humour and creativity go hand-in-hand you need to recognize the fact that humour succeeds based on incongruity. For instance a punch line usually links together things that wouldn’t normally be considered to be related. In essence that’s what creativity is too; uniquely putting things together.

In fact a number of studies have shown that there’s a possibility of a funny person being a creative person. Now, this doesn’t mean that you should go for the class clown during the hiring process many hiring managers would be justified in having valid concerns about that not to mention that such a person would serve as a distraction to other members of his team. However, if you are able to pick up on indicators during the hiring process that someone finds things funny or appreciates a sense of humour they may be the right candidate for the job.

There’s a theory that we are less likely to quit if we have positive emotions about our jobs. A contributing factor to this may be the fun that we’re having in the break room. Even though a worker may receive a better job offer it will take more than that to draw them away from where they like working as well as the team they like working with.

Humor is also a great medium for employees who want to get their voices heard by management. In case the supervisor or business owner is not open to suggestions or challenges coming directly from employees, workers may still criticize management albeit in humor. Such criticisms should always be taken seriously by management as the person who made the joke may be speaking on behalf of their co-workers. In such an instance humor may be used by an organization’s leadership to understand employees’ psyche.

How to Get Cracking

As stated before laughter therapy does not solely rely on humour but on fake laughter as well. If you can’t get yourself or others to start laughing all by yourself here are a couple of ideas to help you get started.

Laughter Speaker

  • Imagine ants in your pants
  • Place an ice cube down your back
  • The balloon pop; imagine two people popping each other’s imaginary balloons
  • Pie laughter; imagine throwing an imaginary pie into someone’s face.
  • Imitate a donkey laugh; “ee-haw, ee-haw”
  • Don a chicken hat and flaunt it
  • Cookie monster laugh (hope you liked Sesame Street)
  • Cry as you go down, laugh as you go up
  • Greeting laughter; greet another person in as many different cultural greetings as you can e.g Chinese, Korean etc
  • Stick your tongue out and hold your hands like a lion’s paws proceed to roar and laugh
  • Rooster laughter; imitate a rooster’s walking style- puff up and flail your arms like a rooster’s wings
  • Start by sitting down with a straight face then stand up and smile (repeat these 3 or 4 times)
  • Imagine walking on very hot sand as you try to get to the cool ocean

Laughter Sessions

Kris offers laughter seminars and workshops for corporate clients. Kris’ laughter workshop sessions are convenient to have and require no preparation. We like to treat adults as adults in our laughter conferences and thus no funny props that would make any adult audience uncomfortable such as costumes or funny hats.

Cris Popp

For the past two years he has been working closely with Melbourne Business School (the number one provider of executive education in Asia-Pacific) to provide professional development to up-and-coming leaders in some of Australia’s biggest corporations.  His workshops on resilience, change management, leadership, innovation, Mind Mapping©, decision-making, conflict resolution, team-building and frontline management are highly regarded by participants.

He has also enjoyed success as a business change manager, innovation agent, facilitator, online project manager, ABC journalist and copywriter in both the public and private sector.

Kris also has a keen interest in positive psychology and its application to create high-performance workplaces and make change efforts successful.

Book your laughter workshop today by contacting Kris, a seasoned laughter speaker at info@laughterworks.com.au or +61 438 545 607.

For People Who Think Laughter's A Joke. via @crispopp http://t.co/2WcQou4xoy

— Cris Popp (@laughterpopp) February 24, 2015

Filed Under: Conferences, Corporate Laughter, Kris, Laughter, Laughter Workshop Tagged With: Benefits of Laughter, corporate laughter, Kris, laughter conferences, Laughter in the workplace, laughter speaker, laughter therapy, laughter workshops

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