Numerous factors have been identified as major causes of stress such as job pressure, poor nutrition, relationships, media overload the list is endless. According to the American Psychological Association around 48% of people lie awake at night as a result of some sort of stress with an unbelievable 77% experiencing physical discomfort on a regular basis for the same reason.
Many of the people who cite stress related problems are quick to say how they’re not able to juggle other aspects of their social lives in tandem with their work related responsibilities. Research conducted in August 2014 by the American Psychological Association, American Institute of Stress, NY has revealed that annual costs incurred by employers due to employees stress related issues such as absconding duty or healthcare problems run into hundreds of billions of dollars. $300 Billion to be exact! A laughable if not ridiculous amount.
How Laughter Relieves Stress
Someone once said that laughter is the best medicine and it really is! Scientific research has shown that a good laugh has both short and long-term effects on your health. One such positive impact is that laughing will soothe your body muscles simultaneously stimulating your heart and lungs as well as increasing your blood pressure and heart rate resulting in a relaxed feeling. Stanford University’s Dr. William Fry also proved that 10 minutes of enthusiastic laughter equals half an hour on the rowing machine and offers the same aerobic value.
A happy employee is a productive employee and laughter activities in the workplace have been proven to exponentially increase productivity. This is easily achieved through increased efficiency, enhanced communication and better teamwork all of which are combined to create a happier workplace. John Cleese, an English comedian and actor once said “people who laugh together, work together”. Laughter therapy offered at laughter workshops is one of the ways team cohesion is enhanced.
Other than being an important tool for team building, laughter also enhances our focus. Our minds’ attention span is greatly reduced after the first 90 minutes of a meeting or conference event. A laughter session goes a long way in helping revitalize our energy and increases our focus on the task at hand be it a convoluted HR training session or a protracted conference meeting.
Contact Us
Here at Laughterworks we specialize in laughter to create an environment that is great fun for all. Kris Popp is a renowned laughter leader who has perfected his art over many years of experience. For more on how you can make your next conference fun and interactive please get in touch with us: info@laughterworks.com.au or (+ 61) 438 545 607.