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500 clowns from South America hold a 15 minute laugh-a-thon to promote peace in Mexico
From the Sunday Times Lifestyle insert in South Africa.
The Royal Society publishes results of research - laughter releases endorphins and increases pain threshold
Robin Dunbar, a professor of evolutionary psychology at Oxford University, who led a study published on 4 September 2011 in the Proceedings of The Royal Society, says in the New York Times, while we associate laughter with our emotions, it is actually a physical action involving the “repeated, forceful exhalation of breath from the lungs” and giving the diaphragm a good workout. The research showed that pain thresholds increase when participants watched a comic video that induced laughter as opposed to a documentary video. This research showed similar results to research in 2009 involving strenuous exercise according to Care2.
This research explains the experience of Norman Cousins who found that he could sleep pain-free after laughter while suffering from ankylosing spondylitis that he described in his book "Anatomy of an Illness" (see my blog report of of 19/11/2011).
This research explains the experience of Norman Cousins who found that he could sleep pain-free after laughter while suffering from ankylosing spondylitis that he described in his book "Anatomy of an Illness" (see my blog report of of 19/11/2011).
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Quoting directly from the event website: Dr Edward de Bono has written and spoken about Happiness, Health, Hope and Humour and explains how to live your life positively.
They list the following research:
Dave and Wendy Ulrich interviewed thousands of people – from rank-and-file workers to day-to day customers to top-level executives to conclude the quest for meaning.
Jessica Pryce- Jones, founder of iOpener and author of Happiness at Work analysed output from research with the happiest and unhappiest employees and found that the happiest employees spend 80% of their working week focussing on what they are paid to do and the unhappiest only work two days a week.
Britain's New Economics Foundation publishes a Happy Planet Index.
Harvard Medical School has released a series of Happiness Studies.
Even the press and the media recognise the importance of happiness they say:
Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Inc Magazine are putting Happiness at the top of their agenda with headlines supporting the need for businesses to do things differently:
Happiness is the Ultimate Economic Indicator | 15 Ideas for Keeping your Employees Happy |Building Better Business By Closing the Happiness Gap |How to be Happy Anywhere |The Happiness Dividend |Happiness and Your Company
They say that companies that are forward thinking embrace happiness:
Zappos, Google, Apple and other leading companies all recognise the value of meaning and purpose and embrace happiness in their organisations.
They Conclude:
So whatever you may say or feel Happiness is becoming a priority on the agenda of forward thinking leaders who recognise and embrace the need to create meaning, purpose and kindness in their communities they serve.
(quoted from http://www.theprogressconference.com/happiness-event.php)
I add to this:
Laughter causes the release of endorphines that immediately places you in a state of happiness.
They list the following research:
Dave and Wendy Ulrich interviewed thousands of people – from rank-and-file workers to day-to day customers to top-level executives to conclude the quest for meaning.
Jessica Pryce- Jones, founder of iOpener and author of Happiness at Work analysed output from research with the happiest and unhappiest employees and found that the happiest employees spend 80% of their working week focussing on what they are paid to do and the unhappiest only work two days a week.
Britain's New Economics Foundation publishes a Happy Planet Index.
Harvard Medical School has released a series of Happiness Studies.
Even the press and the media recognise the importance of happiness they say:
Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Inc Magazine are putting Happiness at the top of their agenda with headlines supporting the need for businesses to do things differently:
Happiness is the Ultimate Economic Indicator | 15 Ideas for Keeping your Employees Happy |Building Better Business By Closing the Happiness Gap |How to be Happy Anywhere |The Happiness Dividend |Happiness and Your Company
They say that companies that are forward thinking embrace happiness:
Zappos, Google, Apple and other leading companies all recognise the value of meaning and purpose and embrace happiness in their organisations.
They Conclude:
So whatever you may say or feel Happiness is becoming a priority on the agenda of forward thinking leaders who recognise and embrace the need to create meaning, purpose and kindness in their communities they serve.
(quoted from http://www.theprogressconference.com/happiness-event.php)
I add to this:
Laughter causes the release of endorphines that immediately places you in a state of happiness.
From The Times newspaper of 27 July 2011
The University of Stellenbosch brought a top leadership development coach to present laughter therapy as a new scientific leadership tool.