How Can Laughter Profit Your Organization?

What is the healthiest medicine in the world that can treat everything, according to doctors’ extensive research? Is this a medicine that the average person can buy, or is it just for the wealthy?

The phrase “laughing is the best medicine” has some basis in reality. Researchers from Loma Linda University in California, Dr. Lee Berk and Stanley Tan found that laughing lowers blood pressure, decreases stress hormones, and strengthens the immune system.

So how will “Laughter” benefit your organization?
As an employer, you could launch a multi-tiered humor-based campaign to see the difference at your workplace environment. These campaigns can be in the form of engaging activities that evokes genuine happiness amoungst individuals.

“Laughter is worth gold in infusing happiness at your workplace”

How to introduce laughter into the workplace?

It is not rocket science! as the saying goes “Sometimes it’s just the little things that make you happy” likewise a simple laugh out loud contest could work wonders. You might also organise a variety of additional events to promote laughing in the office. Here’s a list of enjoyable activities:

• You may have the funniest joke contest in your company:
  Invite participants and set aside time for them to tell their jokes so that others may hear and enjoy the event and infuse laughter at the workplace.
• You may start a weekly laughter club at your office:
  The fitness program known as “Laughing Yoga” mixes laughter exercises with yoga breathing methods, which raises the body’s oxygen levels and helps a person feel more active and energized. Employees who feel drained and monotonous at work can benefit greatly from a weekly laughing club session.
• Team Movie Sessions:
  Believe it or not but movies can have a significant impact on an individual and acts as an effective stress buster. Decide on a day when humorous videos or movies that make employees laugh will be screened.

• Tounge Twisters:
  The muscles you use to talk are stretched and strengthened by tongue twisters, which may also increase your confidence if you execute them in a group. Use the tongue twister exercise across teams and enjoy the laughing that causes stomach cramps.
• Use puns:
  A clever pun is its own reward. Puns are gags that take use of a word’s many possible meanings or the fact that some words sound similar but have quite distinct meanings. If utilized properly, they are fantastic for boosting a room’s mood.
• Mimicry:
  Everyone enjoys a good mimic; it’s a great way to make others smile and laugh. Mimicry doesn’t simply include making fun of someone; it also demonstrates how well you know them and deepens a connection.
• Funny Photo Contest:
  You could encourage your teammates to take humorous group photos around campus; this will not only produce priceless memories but also bring about a substantial amount of happiness.

What happens when we laugh?

Don’t believe the saying that an “apple a day keeps the doctor away.”  You may take vitamin C and sip green tea during flu season, but if you truly want to strengthen your immune system, try laughing more. Laughing causes your body to produce more antibodies and T-cells, which help your immune system fight illnesses. People who have a good sense of humour are less likely to become nervous or sad.

You Relax
Endorphins are released as muscles weaken, which indicates that you’ve either run a marathon or have been watching people face-plant on YouTube. The calm sensation you receive after laughing is comparable to the feeling you experience after working exercise. Even better, this sensation can last for up to an hour.

You experience an endorphin rush.
Laughter has the ability to lift anyone’s spirits, and the cause is entirely chemical. The physical act of laughing produces endorphins in the brain, resulting in a happy emotion. Laughter is addicting, but there’s no need to give it up.

You burn calories
According to one Vanderbilt University research, laughing for 15 minutes a day can burn up to 40 calories. It clearly has the potential to improve your fitness.

When?

If you haven’t laughed a single time all day, you should be concerned about your happiness. It simply indicates that your mind is dissatisfied, either consciously or unconsciously, which results in stress, tension, or anxiety.

How?

To remedy this situation, one simple strategy is to recall the funniest incident that has ever occurred to you. Thinking back on pleasant experiences can eventually divert your attention from the negative thoughts it has been consuming and trigger feel-good neurotransmitters that uplift you.

Why it works?

Scientific studies prove laughing causes your brain to release dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin, all of which are associated to happiness. And a happy mind is more likely to complete more tasks than an unhappy or worried one.

How laughter triumphs at workplace

Laughter promotes trust among colleagues:

When we laugh, we usually do so with individuals we know and trust. These individuals include loved ones, family members, and long-term friends. However, at work, it may be a little different because co-workers may include people you rarely see or communicate with.

So injecting some humour might be an icebreaker to assist you and your co-workers build trust. Making jokes honestly and having a good laugh demonstrates to others that you can trust them and have no fear of being misunderstood or condemned.

Laughter in the workplace fosters new and deepens current relationships:

 “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” – Victor Borge

It is true that laughing may reduce the distance between people. It can also help to establish new relationships and deepen current ones. These ties develop over time. Employees who are happy and have excellent connections with their co-workers tend to stay at their jobs for longer periods of time, which means their knowledge and expertise are preserved to help the firm thrive. As a result, company executives are encouraged to foster universal laughing.

Even managers may show that they understand how to connect by laughing with their team members. It’s also beneficial for managers because employees often turn to supervisors for guidance and inspiration.

Laughter promotes creativity:

Various studies show that humour in the workplace decreases aggression, relieves stress, allows for a better cognitive process, and assists employees in communicating tough information. Furthermore, it may be a terrific spur for creativity, making work less boring or even more intriguing. When creativity increases, productivity tends to follow suit.

Laughter promotes the development of like-minded colleagues:

Employees who laugh and learn together prosper together. This is especially true because a team is considerably more likely to succeed if they feel comfortable laughing in front of one other. Individual team members may feel compelled to go above and above to help the team as a whole. When individuals can think similarly, their employer’s goals may be met with flying colours.

Laughter boosts overall health:

Laughter stimulates the heart and lungs, boosts blood flow throughout the body, and raises the amount of feel-good endorphins generated by the brain. The release of this natural substance in the body relaxes the body’s muscles and decreases tension. This is excellent for employees who are under pressure. Employees who are stressed out and regularly use sick leave should try to include some humour into their lives to help them relax.

Laughter at work boosts productivity:

One thing is certain: all of the aforementioned advantages contribute to a more productive staff. Employees that are joyful may readily convey and pass on their pleasant sentiments to others. Positive emotions transform into positive energy, which leads to productivity.

An Australian industry-wide study of 2,500 employees revealed that 81% feel a pleasant working atmosphere would make them more productive; 93% claimed that laughing on the job helps to alleviate work-related stress, according to a St. Edward’s University research. Surprisingly, 55% of those polled stated they would take lower salary to have more fun at work.

To summarise, we can see how a sense of humour and sheer fun boosts happiness, high employee morale, increased creativity, trust, greater performance, and excellent cooperation. The only way to find out is to try it.

What are you doing to elevate Happiness at your workplace?

Share your answers below! Get in touch to infuse joy, laughter, and zeal at your organization.

Disclaimer: Your laughter should be with someone and not on someone