Health & Happiness Archives

11 May, 2015 by Cris Popp

Laughter: Leadership’s Secret Weapon

Twittables: 4 Ways to Boost Your Leadership Stocks Through Laughter [Click To Tweet] Laugh- It’ll Improve Your Leadership More Than Another Leadership Course [Click To Tweet] As you know, we’re big on laughter here and the important role it plays in our personal and professional lives. And the evidence keeps mounting- we came across an interesting bit of research about the value of laugther for “social grooming” (courtesy of our good friend Andrew O’Keefe, www.hardwiredhumans.com ). Social grooming, is what we, (in fact all primates), do to help this form of cohesive and productive social groups. Why it matters is that groups that don’t bond- don’t function. Groups that do bond- do function. The danger in many modern workplaces, with the huge workloads, long hours, and stress- is that in an effort to get through all the work we stop bonding with others. That very quickly leads to a breakdown in social relations which has implications for trust, collaboration, conflict and ultimately performance, innovation and leadership. Spending sometime chitchatting with your colleagues, being a bit personable, and knowing more about them than just the professional roles all helps. On the other hand- you don’t want to go too far the other way. All social chit chat, and no work, is also unproductive. So, how can you bond quickly in the workplace; create some bonds, and perform a high level? Well, it turns out that laughter is an ideal way to do this. Laughter is quick, enjoyable, and it releases feel-good endorphins which help us enjoy the company of our colleagues. If you’re a leader, setting the right “tone” for laughter is important. One caveat here- is that the laughter isn’t at anybody’s expense.

Tips for leaders

How do you set the right tone as a leader- this is Andrew’s advice: First, as the leader your mindset matters. Are you of the view that there is a place for light-hearted moments at work and that laughter is a good thing? Second, set the tone that laughter is encouraged. You don’t need to be a teller of jokes, but you do need to send signals that you are willing to have a laugh and that there is a place for others to share humorous moments. Third, create the environment for laughter. It might be sharing light-hearted moments from your weekend, or at meetings and coffee catch-ups. Fourth, monitor that there is a reasonable amount of laughter occurring in your workplace. Healthy laughter is a good indicator of high engagement and high energy. And that people are bonding. And we might also add:

Run a laughter workshop, or a series of laughter workshops.
Have us present a laughter session at your next quarterly forum or annual gathering.
Book our Talk “Happy Hour is 9-to-5”

Kris has conducted numerous laughter events to wide acclaim. If you would like to have him at your next laughter workshop or conference don’t hesitate to get in touch with him; info@laughterworks.com.au or give him a call on +61 438 545 607.

2 February, 2015 by Cris Popp

Laughter Therapy Helps Diabetics Lower Blood Sugar

The benefits of laughter are becoming better known as scientific research unlocks its true potential. Laughter therapy, in particular, has proven to be an effective means of healing when it comes to different diseases, illnesses, and emotional issues. Laughter has been particularly helpful and has many medical benefits like increasing blood flow, boosting the immune system, and helping with relaxation and sleeping. But laughter goes even further; it helps cancer patients cope with chemotherapy, as well as mitigate health concerns for diabetics.

Diabetes is a disease that affects nearly 371 million people worldwide. There are two forms of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. People with Type 1 diabetes cannot produce insulin to lower their blood sugar, which requires the need to inject insulin daily. Type 2 diabetics can produce insulin, but not enough to control their blood sugar completely.

In an interesting study, Japanese doctors tested a theory about the power of laughter therapy, to see if it had any actual benefits for diabetics. The study found that laughter therapy can reduce blood sugar.

The study was conducted on both diabetics, and non-diabetics in a control group. The doctors provided patients with diabetes lower levels of insulin over a two day period. The first day they were exposed to a boring lecture, and on the second day they were taken to a TV comedy show.

Results showed that the diabetic patients benefitted from laughing during the comedy show, in which their blood sugar was lowered, versus when they sat through a tedious lecture where it went higher. It was concluded in this study that laughter suppressed the actual rise of their sugar during the comedy show.

The impact of laughter has proven to not only help manage diabetes but other health problems as well. For example laughter therapy boosts the immune system, helps with stress management and reduces pain.

Would you like to have more laughter in your life and workplace? Get Laughterworks to deliver a laughter session at your workplace or next conference or event? Contact us: info@laughterworks.com.au, or 0438 545 607

https://twitter.com/laughterpopp/status/562012375323529216

5 January, 2015 by Cris Popp

Laughter is a Better Energizer Than Coffee

Coffee continues to be one of the popular drinks of the 21^st century. Its benefits have been touted by various professionals and health journals as the magic drink and its reputation as an energy booster doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Luckily though for those who can’t stand the smell of coffee or its taste there’s a new energy booster that has been proven time and again to be more effective than coffee- laughter.

Yes, that’s right. A healthy dose of laughter is good for your body’s energy levels plus a whole host of other benefits. So how do we know for a fact that laughter is much better than your regular cup of Joe? Well, studies carried out by researchers at the University of Maryland show that laughter is just as good as coffee if not better. (Just thinking about it is making me laugh).

Immune Response

Recent studies show that there’s a correlation between increased stress and a weak immune system. Some of the studies also show that when applied, humor may be used to raise the level of antibodies leading to a more robust immune system. So just imagine what a laughter therapy session would do for you.

Comedy and Blood flow.

Sounds like a badly written script, but believe it or not there’s a link. Research from the University of Maryland shows that blood vessels act normally, that is contract and expand easily, when people are watching a funny comedy. That is certainly not the case when people are watching dramas; their blood vessels get constricted leading to constrained blood flow. However we know that in laughter workshops – everyone comes out of feeling better.

Laughter is also good for lower blood sugar levels. What?

Indeed, a study involving 19 respondents all of whom suffered from diabetes proved this to be true. When given a meal and after attending a wearisome lecture the blood sugar levels of all the attendees was found to higher than when they ate the same meal and watched a comedy instead.

With so many benefits credited to laughter why not just switch over from coffee and experience the full benefits of laughter as well as get to find out for yourself whether laughter is truly the best medicine.

Kris has years of experience running successful laughter workshops for both organizations and teams. Get in touch with us to make your next event a roaring success: Call Kris on +61 438 545 607 or send an email to info@laughterworks.com.au

Laughter is a Better Energizer Than Coffee. http://t.co/pYc4Xlhx2p

— Cris Popp (@laughterpopp) January 5, 2015

29 December, 2014 by Cris Popp

Laughter Helps People Bond

Someone once said that laughter is the shortest distance between two people and they were right. Recent studies have shown that laughter has a domino effect on how well people bond with each other and it’s no surprise given how it is an integral part of every human being. Even before they can speak infants interact with others by laughing and/or smiling.

The universal nature of laughter means that it can be found in every group of people in the world and is a potent instrument of breaking down barriers of culture, race, nationality, economic classes and government philosophies. Whenever anyone of us comes across something amusing the response is always the same- laughter; ranging from loud vocal outbursts to the more discreet chuckles. The result however is always the same- it unites everybody who’s laughing.

Just like a magnet, laughter draws us together and encourages us to interact- the sound of laughter eggs us on to the source of laughter. By persuading us to lower our guard, laughter reduces our tendency to be anxious when meeting strangers. If you were to quickly go through your Facebook friends’ profiles you’d notice that the funniest ones have the most friends when compared to those who are more somber and reserved.

Even more importantly laughter helps relationships thrive. Whether sharing a humorous joke around the dinner table or watching a funny comedy with friends, laughter helps us release positive emotions that help bind us together and develop closeness.

One of the quickest not to mention easiest ways to help us through the tough times is by laughing off our worries. Coping with life’s problems can sap away all of our energy and laughter couldn’t be more helpful in those trying moments.

Kris delivers laughter workshops for both teams and organizations. Why not give him a call on your next quarterly forum or team-building day on 0438 545 607 or send us an email info@laughterworks.com.au.

How laughter helps people bond. via @laughterpopp http://t.co/uXqdnBHHZB

— Cris Popp (@laughterpopp) December 28, 2014

22 December, 2014 by Cris Popp

Laughter As A Stress Buster

Life can feel very stressful these days, especially with the ever-increasing demands of our attention from family, coworkers, and bosses. Sometimes we can forget to enjoy all the little things in life, and sit back and laugh. In fact, studies have shown that laughter can be one of the biggest stress reducers in our lives, and everyone could use a good laugh every now and then. Unfortunately, many people, especially stressed-out adults, don’t laugh often enough. One study found that healthy children may laugh as much as 400 times per day, but adults tend to laugh only 15 times per day. An obvious and unfortunate reason for this large disparity is likely due to the increased stress and reduced joy in adults’ lives, leading them to laugh less. However, there are ways we can incorporate more laughter into our lives.

Sometimes when we get too involved in the tasks at hand, we take ourselves too seriously, and may even refuse outright to have fun. If we laugh at ourselves every once in a while, instead of getting caught up in the frustration if something goes wrong with our day, we can reduce the levels of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine, and increase endorphins, in addition to possibly relieving health issues like high blood pressure. So, instead of cursing at your steering wheel when you leave your coffee thermos on the roof of your car and hear it tumble to the ground just as you’re heading off to work, smile and laugh at your forgetfulness instead. Life is too short to let the little things pile up and stress you out. A smile and a laugh can work like magic to make the stress response melt away.

Laughter can also be beneficial to reducing other symptoms of stress, increasing your intake of oxygen, thus reinvigorating your heart, lungs, and muscles, and stimulate circulation and muscle relaxation. Whereas while you’re stressed out, your breathing may be shallow, muscles tensed up, and circulation poor, which over the long term may contribute to health problems. If you’re having a stressful day at work, grab your phone, head to the break room, and watch a quick cat video. With the wonders of the internet, you can relieve your stress in 30 seconds flat. To live a more relaxed, stress-free life, don’t forget to laugh every now and then.

Would like to have more laughter in your life and workplace? Get Laughterworks to deliver a laughter session at your workplace or next conference or event? Contact us: info@laughterworks.com.au, or 0438 545 607

Laughter- The Best Stress Buster? http://t.co/yGjTb7EWcl

— Cris Popp (@laughterpopp) December 21, 2014