Almost all of us have heard that ?Laughter is the best medicine!? and it?s a fact that there is no other thing that can help you in better ways than laughter can. A study conducted at Graz University in Austria revealed laughter really is a good therapy for stroke patients as it helped people recovering from strokes lower their blood pressure. This laughter therapy combined laughing techniques with breathing exercises and patients involved took part in three half-hour weekly sessions.

The base of laughter therapy is related to the idea of positive thinking, an age-old philosophy according to which if you want to be free from any mental problem and keep yourself healthy, all you have to do is to start laughter therapy; make yourself feel free and happy and keep smiling. Laughter is a biological means of healing and one of the finest, most economical and easy-to-practice anti-stress measures.

This therapy is about looking at the bright side of things. It is very effective and is even considered as one of the best muscle relaxants - it expands blood vessels and sends more blood rising all over the body. That apart, laughter is also known to reduce the level of stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol. When you laugh, you inhale more oxygen and you feel refreshed. Researchers have found that one minute of laughter is equal to 10 minutes on the rowing machine.

People suffering from mind-related diseases like anxiety, depression, nervous breakdowns and sleeplessness usually benefit from laughter therapy. Laughter also helps in toning up face muscles and improves facial expressions. When you laugh, your face becomes red due to an increase in blood supply, which nourishes the facial skin and makes it glow.

Inhibition and shyness

A new trend in the world these days is the setting up of ?laughter clubs?. There is a growing demand for the opening of such clubs, especially in India, where membership is increasing. ?Laughter yoga? is a new international jargon among health-conscious people in search of natural remedies to ailments. Most people find it difficult to laugh for no reason.

According to Dr Kataria, a physician from Mumbai who started the first Indian laughter club in 1995, the two main factors preventing a person from laughing are inhibition and shyness. He therefore recommended that people gather in large numbers. The larger the group, the easier it is to laugh. Laughter initiated in a large group is contagious and people can start laughing by just looking at each others? faces.

Laughter in the workplace not only transforms a dull office atmosphere into a pleasant environment, but also helps employees beat stress and improve team-building. Traditionally, managers thought of laughter as interference, interruption and wasteful distraction. But modern bosses regard humour skill as an important management tool.

They believe that in stress-filled, rapidly changing business environment, it is critical that personnel remain flexible, adaptable and resilient. Workplace wellness being a serious issue, organizations are increasingly looking for ways to keep their workforce happy, healthy and productive.

Among easy solutions laughter figures in good place. It is common to find in job adverts that most companies prefer candidates ?with a good sense of humour?. (Of course this should not discourage shy and introvert applicants). Office humour helps to deflect tense situations, strengthen bonds between colleagues, remove intimidating barriers between management and subordinate staff, keep everyday hassles and problems in perspective, and create excellent rapport with customers. Humour plays a great role in harmonizing the transition from a hierarchical top-down structure to a flatter system. In many enterprises, managers are evaluated on their ability to create enthusiasm among employees. Building fun and humour into the corporate culture ensures that this enthusiasm exists. However, care should be taken to prevent good-natured humour from becoming offensive and litigious.

Clyde Fahlman, author of ?Laughing Nine to Five? states that ?The humor CHIP, which stands for Connect, Health, Inspiration and Perspective, all enhanced by humour is as important as the computer Chip?. Most of our TV soaps centre around the family theme and attract a large audience. But working in an office can be like watching a TV serial itself, because all the ingredients of a sitcom are there: same faces everyday, same ritual, but always with the possibility that something funny would happen, and it does actually happen everyday! Laughter therapy is free and accessible to everyone.

?We should not laugh because we are happy, we should be happy because we laugh.?

Shaffick HAMUTH