Laughter in the Business World

Laughter Yoga in the Business World

Do you have stress? Most people do. Especially in the business world. There are so many pressures and responsibilities. It can lead to stress, depression, burn-out and even serious illness.
What can alleviate this workplace stress? Laughter, of course. Scientific research has demonstrated that laughter can help to resolve workplace stress and many related issues.
A one-year Laughter Yoga trial in a Danish IT company yielded the following results: The companies sales increased more than 25% in a highly competitive market while stress levels decreased by 75%. The program consisted of Laughter Yoga sessions daily for a week followed by weekly sessions for one year. All management and employees participated and stress levels were scientifically monitored.

Indeed, laughter is great. In our everyday life, there are opportunities to laugh, but on average, these laughs only last for 2.2 seconds. This is not enough to unleash laughter’s full potential. It is only when we laugh vigorously for a longer time that we can experience powerful physiological and biochemical changes.

This is why Laughter Yoga is such an effective tool in the business world. It is a breakthrough delivery system, which enables a person to laugh continuously for an extended period of time even without having a developed sense of humor. This is extremely beneficial, particularly because it is punctuated with deep, yogic breathing. Together, the laughing and breathing serve to diminish stress, provides a proactive approach to taking control of one’s well being, builds teamwork, boosts physical health, reduces group benefit premiums and can even improve creativity and efficiency.

For these reasons, companies around the world are starting to utilize Laughter Yoga. Results indicate that employees in Laughter Yoga programs become more committed, learn more easily, improve their interpersonal skills, and that the workplace becomes a happier place. It is often reflected in increased sales, efficiency and productivity and an improved bottom line.

Just last week I did a Laughter Yoga session at the Scotia Bank for the staff. I arrived before the bank opened and finished while their customers were lining up waiting for the doors to open.
Everyone at the Branch who participated had great things to say and the atmosphere since then has been very positive and friendly. They thanked me for the endless good vibes and appreciation for my work.
Here’s what they had to say,
     “It was very inspirational and the feeling carried through for me at least the whole evening. Incredibly powerful! We just loved it and received so much from the experience. Exactly what our intention was for the wellness day.”

A remarkable thing happens when you feel good about yourself, you gain the power to succeed. When you surround yourself with men and women who share your positive attitude, it becomes easier to maintain a good self image and the positive results that come with it. Optimists are unique people in today’s world. They promise themselves to think only of the best, work only for the best and expect only the best. They remain strong so that nothing can disturb their peace of mind. Most importantly, they draw out the positive in everyone they meet.

Laughter in the business world?  YES, its a life changing experience!