Laughter, Resilience and Wellbeing

Drawing on Ros Ben-Moshe's rich research expertise and her experience in this emerging field, La Trobe's Laughter, Resilience and Wellbeing short course is the first of its kind in Australia.

In this 7½ hour online program you will explore evidence-based practice and gain techniques to enhance resilience, positivity and wellbeing in patient care, education and other settings. You will also acquire practical skills to become a Laughter, Resilience and Wellbeing facilitator in your workplace.

Over 5 x 90 minute Zoom workshops, you'll:

• Explore the physiology of laughter and humour and how this positively effects day-to-day personal and professional life
• Gain insight into the empirical research in humour and non-humour-based laughter therapies as well as Positive Psychology
• Discover diverse applications of laughter for wellbeing in education, training and clinical settings
• Learn about the two main non-humour-based laughter therapies: Laughter wellness and Laughter Yoga
• Develop strategies to cultivate a laughter mindset and how this relates to improved health, resilience, increased happiness and client satisfaction.
• Complete Laughter, Resilience and Wellbeing facilitator training.

The techniques and theory you learn will support your day-to-day practice, enhancing client/staff communication, morale and cohesion, assist in addressing precursors to burnout, whilst promoting positivity, creativity and productivity. Skills gained will enable you to better respond to stress, enhancing personal and organisational resilience.

As a Laughter, Resilience and Wellbeing (LRW) facilitator you will be able to deliver laughter and humour-based programs for individuals and groups and develop a LRW strategy to meet the needs of your organisation.

Open to people from varied backgrounds and designed for people working in health and other people-focused areas, this course offers you the chance to enhance your own personal wellbeing. You'll develop a range of "laugh skills" to integrate into patient care, education and other organisational settings.

Topics covered will include:

• The science and neuroscience of laughter, humour and play
• Basic physiology of humour and non-humour-based laughter therapy - including its effect on psychological, emotional, mental and social health
• Laughter and Humour for Wellbeing in diverse settings - from paediatric wards (Clown Doctors) to dialysis wards (laughter yoga facilitators), Aged care facilities (Elder Clowns), to refugee camps (Clowns without Borders), the corporate world (Positivity Resilience) and schools (Laughter Wellness).
• Laughter wellness - a mind-body philosophy that expands beyond physical laughter into new realms, to accentuate positivity and promote overall wellbeing
• Laughter yoga - its beginnings and growth into a burgeoning world-wide movement to create community and promote world peace
• Essential "laugh skills" - to integrate into your personal and professional daily practice, including positive reframing with levity and joyful journaling
• Practical training - to become a Laughter, Resilience and Wellbeing facilitator in your workplace.