Click here to view other archived ezine issues
Self-efficacy is a fancy term meaning that you believe in your ability to do what it takes to achieve goals or complete tasks. Studies prove that when people have strong levels of self-efficacy, they tend to succeed. In other words, believing that you can accomplish something means that you’ll work harder, persist in the face of obstacles, and make smart choices. Conversely, if you lack the belief that you can succeed at a given task, chances are you’ll give up as soon as the going gets tough.
To assess the effect of laughter on self-efficacy, researchers recruited employees of a behavioral and mental health facility, and had them participate in 15 minutes a day of laughter yoga exercises for 15 days. They completed the Capabilities Awareness Profile before participating in the study, immediately after the 15 days were up, and again 90 days later.
During the 15 days of laughter yoga sessions, and 90 days after they had ended, participants reported an increase in various aspects of self-efficacy including: Self-regulation, the ability to manage unpleasant emotions; optimism, the sense that things will work out well; positive emotions, having good feelings about oneself and one’s abilities; and social identification, the sense of being connected with and supported by others.
These gains dipped slightly 90 days after the laughter group, but were still significantly better than before subjects participated in the laughter groups.
There were also other interesting effects. A nurse who participated in the study was taken off all of his blood pressure medication during the third week of the program, and, one year later, was still managing his blood pressure by daily use of the laughter exercises.
It seems that regular laughter not only helps us believe in ourselves, but also can in some cases alter our physiology, as long as we do it on a regular basis. And 15 minutes a day of laughter is pretty doable even in busy workplaces. The question is: How many of us will actually follow through?
Click here to view other archived ezine issues
For more on David’s book The Happy Neurotic: How Fear and Angst Can Lead to Happiness and Success click here
Learn how you can be happy, productive, and well-adjusted while remaining as neurotic as ever!
