88% of Workers Are Stressed – Laughter Yoga Can Help

Recent research from World Economic Forum states that 88% of workers are stressed. People who are stressed have less ability to do their work effectively, have trouble staying focused and less of an ability to deal with ongoing change.

In a National Library of Medicine study it found that laughter yoga can help people with stress, burnout and life satisfaction. It turns out that the body does not know the difference between laughter that is naturally occurring or laughter exercises. The body and mind receives the same benefits of laughter either way.

Laughter creates increased endorphins, increased sense of connection, increased joy, increased resilience and more.

I got certified as a laughter yoga teacher in early 2024 as a result of a few things. Firstly in my own life I was experiencing increased stress through the decline of health of a loved one. It was while I was attending a week long retreat that the retreat leader turned to me and said “Why are you so serious?”. It was a sudden comment and it took me completely by surprise.

The comment also caused me to examine the question, “Why AM I so serious?” yes I had some serious things going on in my life, as do so many other people.

However being serious was also impacting my mental well being – I was finding myself more focused on ‘worry’ than on being hopeful and seeking the positive.

In addition to my personal circumstance I have been talking to clients about leadership and change and how they were seeing increased stress amount their teams.

One day after I had finished my meditation for the morning I had a sudden thought, “what is the opposite of being serious?” and of course the answer is joy, laughter, and light heartedness.

I immediately sought out how to become certified as a laughter yoga teacher and have since conducted a number of sessions with groups of varying sizes.

It’s called Laughter Yoga because it combines the yogic practice of controlled breathing (Pranayama) with laughter exercises.

In yoga, Pranayama refers to deep, intentional breathing that aims to bring more oxygen into the body, calm the mind, and promote overall balance.

Laughter Yoga involves a deliberate form of laughing that pairs with these breathing techniques. The structured, intentional aspect of both the breathing and laughter is why it’s given the name “yoga,” even though it doesn’t typically involve physical postures like traditional yoga. The goal is to create harmony between the body, mind, and spirit, using laughter as a powerful tool for achieving that sense of connection and wellness.

The response was amazing, people felt empowered, and experienced joy and connection by laughing together in a group. The difference in laughter yoga is that EVERYONE laughs rather than just some people laughing with a comedian for example. The laughter yoga exercises require a playful attitude and helps peoples engage with their ‘child like nature’.

Imagine yourself being able to lighten up even just a little bit and to be able to have more perspective and energy to deal with life and work.

Laughter yoga can do this and more. With over 20 plus years of experience as a change leadership/future of work expert and sharing my expertise in keynotes I shared laughter yoga with a large group in a keynote format with an outstanding response.

I am now sharing my new keynote, “Laughter Yoga For Ultimate Health and Wellbeing”.

Looking to have a unique and empowering keynote session for your next event or conference? Consider laughter yoga.