Working together is not easy. You’ll probably come across conflicts and misunderstandings. You may have to deal with petty people, people who intimidate you, and people you just can’t get around to liking. You’ll be stuck in tense situations where people are taking themselves way too seriously, and don’t know what to do with yourself.
During these moments, a good joke can really save the day. This is why the funny people at work never seem to be as stressed out as the one always seriously (and furiously) typing away at his or her keyboard.
Laughter yoga harnesses the therapeutic power of laughter, which science claims to be great for your body, mind and soul. However, laughter yoga advocates laughing without reason and without relying on jokes or humour. These exercises all start off by faking it till you make it.
While it might sound slightly preposterous to you, the laughter yoga movement is slowly spreading across the globe, to counter the rising stress levels.
Laughter yoga experts believe that 15 minutes of laughing exercises at work can help you become more productive, boost your energy, and foster a closer relationship with your colleagues. It also melts away your stress and helps you not to take yourself so seriously.
“After some time practising laughter yoga, you will have a better sense of humour, which is great!” said certified laughter yoga trainer Kitti Chang.
Here are some laughter yoga exercises she recommends to practise at work with your colleagues:
1. Cell phone laughter
Pick up your cell phone and pretend that you are talking to someone and just laugh.
2. Celebration laughter
Jump up and down with excitement as if you have just received great news and laugh.
3. Yawn laughter
Stretch your hands, yawn, and then laugh.
4. High five laughter
Give your colleague and high five and laugh.
5. Serious laughter
Try too laugh like a very serious person would laugh and have fun with it.
6. Smile greeting
Walk around smiling at each other with a huge smile. Science says that even faking this kind of smile makes you happier. Try it for one to two minutes.
Expert tip: Our body does not know how to differentiate between fake and real laughter. So it is okay to fake the laughter and allow the natural laughter to happen. This is a great exercise to reduce the judgment we have on ourselves and others. Just take the leap and laugh 10 to 15 minutes daily, and you’ll notice how things change around you.
Still don’t know how to go about it? Join in on FREE sessions of laughter yoga at Malaysia’s celebration of World Laughter Day, happening at Publika, Solaris Dutamas on May 4th, 2014 (Sat). There’ll be comedians, musicians, clowns, and laughter exercises to ensure you get a good laugh. You’ll also get to meet Certified Laughter Yoga Trainers Kitti Chang and Chandana Denz, as well as celebrity hosts Phng Li Kim and Dennis Lau.
Learn more about the event and get your FREE tickets here.
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How did the laughter yoga exercises work out for you and your colleagues? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page!