Are you and your co-workers always stressed out?
If so, you’re not alone. While workplace stress is a global issue, work-related stress in the Philippines is currently the highest in Southeast Asia, with over 50% of Filipinos saying they were stressed the previous day according to the same 2022 State of the Global Workplace Report.
Excessive stress, in turn, can lead to employee dissatisfaction, resulting in higher turnover rates as your organization’s people look for new opportunities and drive costs for companies as they train new hires. This is also especially true for the Philippines, which has the highest turnover rate in the ASEAN region.
Similarly, stress has been proven to be detrimental to employee performance, as shown in a 2021 study, wherein higher stress levels were associated with decreased work performance – costing your organization both time and money.
Given the detrimental effect of stress on employee performance, ways to effectively manage stress should be considered by any organization looking to minimize costs and keep their employee turnover rate low.
What is Laughter Yoga?
Laughter yoga as a practice was invented by Indian physician Dr. Madan Kataria, combining exercises involving voluntary laughter with yoga breathing techniques (Pranayama).
This form of therapy has since gained popularity since its formation in 1995 and is now practiced in 110 countries.
Laugher Yoga and Stress
Is laughter really the best medicine? While laughter yoga has been claiming to reduce stress and anxiety since its founding, Recent studies confirm that it can be a valuable tool for relieving stress and anxiety.
According to a 2019 study, laughter yoga can serve as a low-cost option in dealing with mental health and anxiety disorders as this can be supplemental to conventional therapy.
However, more research was still needed to be done on the topic, which is where a more recent 2020 study comes in and confirms these findings.
Similarly, laughter therapy was found to lower anxiety levels effectively when combined with other complementary methods. The same can be said about a 2022 study showing the physical and physiological effects of laughter yoga, while another 2022 study showed decreased physical symptoms among tuberculosis patients as well as lower levels of anxiety.
How to do laughter yoga
Laughter yoga is typically done in group classes under a club or a gym and will require a qualified instructor to teach.
Unlike involuntary laughter when we find something funny, laughter yoga will require practice and technique, from breathing techniques, clapping, and chanting.
Here’s a quick feature of one of Holifit’s laughter yoga sessions in Boracay, Philippines, wherein we were hired to do a laughter yoga session last September for a company team-building event.
Is Laughter Yoga For You?
Do you see your company benefiting from laughter yoga? You may even want to try it yourself!
If you’re interested in more and you’d like to set a meeting with us you Contact us at info@holifit.com.ph and discover how HoliFit can help your business reach its goals. You can also check out our Facebook page, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Youtube Channel for more information about our services.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity. To find out how HoliFit can help your business reach its goals through Team Building – contact us today!
