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Promoting the Health Benefits of Laughter at Your Facility
HealthWare Systems Blog
Promoting the Health Benefits of Laughter at Your Facility
Posted on Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Awareness of and appreciation for the health benefits of laughter can make a huge difference to the lives of both your employees and patients. There are ample science-based short-term and long-term health benefits of laughter. Harnessing the power of these benefits may help you reduce physician burnout and employee stress, improve employees’ and patients’ moods and lift their spirits, and produce better health outcomes.
Some of the physical health benefits of laughter:
Happy National Humor Month!
Boosts the immune system
Relaxes muscles
Protects the heart
Reduces pain
Burns calories!
Some of the mental health benefits of laughter:
Releases endorphins
Relieves stress* and anxiety
Eases anger
Enriches social relationships
Helps us cope with difficult situations
Improves mood
*For more stress relief ideas, check out this Stress Management Guide.
National Humor Month
April is National Humor Month! National Humor Month was established with the purpose of promoting the therapeutic value of humor and the many health benefits of laughter and joy. Fittingly, National Humor Month kicked off on April Fool’s Day.
This is a great time to consider how you might incorporate the healing power of humor into your operation and educate your patients and employees about the health benefits of laughter.
For example:
If you use a lobby display screen or patient notification board, include a “Joke of the Day” that appears periodically throughout your rotation of announcements.
Print a list of the health benefits of laughter on the other side of any wayfinding maps or other informational materials you offer to patients.
Play comedy shows or funny movies on any TVs you may have in your waiting areas.
Provide funny books, humorous magazines, and newspaper comics in your waiting rooms.
Foster a love of humor, and reading, early on in your youngest patients by partnering with the local library to sponsor a FUNNY LITERACY program for kids! Click here for more information on creating a custom program for your community.
Additionally, the National Humor Month website has plenty of ideas and resources for promoting the health benefits of laughter throughout April and all year long, such as the Decorate-A-Smiley Project.
You can also find ideas for promoting other health observances throughout the year here, and a detailed calendar of this year’s health observances and recognition days here.
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