Laughter Yoga for Business
How does your workplace rate for morale, team-work, productivity and efficiency?
What’s your absenteeism rate?
One of Australia’s greatest workplace institutions—the ‘sickie’—costs the nation about $30 billion in lost productivity every year.
Safe Work Australia says mental stress is the most expensive form of workers’ compensation claims– and that more professionals make claims for mental stress than any other occupation.
Then there’s presenteeism – when staff members turn up for work but their minds are anywhere but on the job: presenteeism is said to be as much as 4 times more costly than absenteeism.
While we won’t claim your staff will never have a sick day again if you bring Laughter Yoga into your workplace, Laughter Yoga Australia is confident there’ll be a downturn in ‘sickies’ and a boost in morale and here’s why:
Laughter Yoga is a powerful proven tool helping business people reduce workplace stress and create happy and energetic workforce.
Australian research reveals Laughter Yoga’s benefits to business
Laughter Yoga techniques have been scientifically proven to work as a stressbuster for workplace wellbeing programs. There’re also great teambuilders. Find out more about Laughter Yoga Australia’s workshops and training options.
Laughter Yoga Australia partnered with Deakin University’s School of Psychology to conduct research on how Laughter Yoga impacted 2 Melbourne businesses, both aware of high stress levels.
General life satisfaction, personal wellbeing, mood, self-esteem, optimism, control and workplace wellbeing were measured. After just one session, there were measurable improvements—some by as much as 10%!
Stress, depression, and anxiety were also measured, and they all decreased, again by as much as 10%.
When the Laughter Yoga sessions ceased after one month, most of the improvements gained began to wane – although never back to the starting levels.
The exception was workplace wellbeing: amazingly that benefit was retained even after the program ended.
Laughter Yoga research worldwide shows benefits to business
International clinical research in Bangalore, India, has found very real physical benefits after just 7 Laughter Yoga sessions.
- Levels of the stress hormone cortisol were measurably down.
- Heart rate lowered.
- Blood pressure dropped significantly.
What’s more, participants felt less stressed and less negative.
In another clinical test in the United States, workers felt more optimistic, motivated, adaptable and focused after practising Laughter Yoga 15 minutes a day for 14 days.
No wonder the likes of Google and BBC are known to use Laughter Yoga in their workplaces.
Unique features of Laughter Yoga in business
- Cost-effective and fast-acting.
- Reduces stress instantaneously – you feel the benefits from the very first session.
- Scientifically proven with measurable results.
- Easy to do – all abilities and ages can participate.
7 compelling reasons businesses love Laughter Yoga
- Stress-releasing. Feel some benefits from the very first session.
- Fast-acting. Laughter Yoga works like an aerobic exercise without sweating, stimulating heart rate, increasing blood circulation, boosting oxygen and removing waste products. Dr William Fry from Stanford University found that 10 minutes of hearty laughter equaled 30 minutes on a rowing machine!
- Energising. Science tells us that the brain needs 25% more oxygen than other body organs. Laughter Yoga increases the net supply of oxygen which helps boost energy levels for optimal performance .
- Team building. Colleagues and workers will connect more easily and communicate better after bonding through Laughter Yoga.
- Motivational. When there’s a smile on your dial, you feel good — and that rubs off on those you deal with. Laughter Yoga offers front office and sales and marketing personnel the attitudinal boost needed to connect and grow their client base and enjoy spectacular client satisfaction.
- Creative problem-solving. The childlike playfulness in Laughter Therapy stimulates right brain activity, the seat of creativity. This helps generate new ideas and new insights about workplace issues and problems.
- Increases attention and focus in professional development trainings. Our brains aren’t wired to really concentrate for more than 90 minutes. Short 5-10 minute Laughter Yoga session interspersed during long professional development training days enhance learning skills by boosting individuals’ attention span.
Find out more about our:
- Laughing Workshops for your workplace or organisation.
- Laughter Training to learn to facilitate laughter groups.