The three main reactions to stress

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I was reading my colleague Alain Samson ‘s newsletter this morning as I waited in the studio to do my TV column in Ottawa.

One sentence in particular caught my attention.

He quotes Henri Laborit, a French physician, surgeon and neurobiologist who made his name by popularizing neuroscience.

According to Henri Laborit, under stress, individuals tend to react in three main ways: flight, aggression or immobilization.

He also says that, in the face of threat or intense stress, immobilization is the least energy-intensive response for the body.

My experience

I’ve observed that, depending on the situation, I too will react in these three ways.

For example, when I look at the clock and I’m slightly off time, I tend to want to run away. As in walking faster, driving faster, moving more. So here, it would be running away.

In other circumstances, I “freeze”. Unable to speak, to move, to think. Faced with shocking news, for example. It’s as if everything comes to a standstill. Immobilization.

As for the aggressive reaction, I’m sure you can think of several situations where we become downright aggressive and impatient. Sudden movements, clenched jaws, louder (or higher-pitched) voice.

All these reactions are due to perceived stress. Fascinating.

Depending on the situation, we all react this way. Flight, aggression or immobility.

So and so. I repeat, these are the three main reactions! That means there are others.

What could it be?

Hmm… I think about how I want to cry sometimes when it’s a bit too much. Or what a few people tell me – that they can’t stop laughing when they’re going through something very stressful.

Laugh or cry.

Two reactions that release some of the tension generated by the situation. There’s an immediate sense of liberation after laughing as well as crying. And I use both too!

The idea is not to judge ourselves (or anyone else) but simply to observe that humans all react in certain ways, and that we have many reactions in common.

And that’s interesting!

What’s YOUR answer?

Escape? Aggression? Or immobilization? Laughing? Tears?

Have a nice day!
Laughter, joy and health

Linda

Advent calendar with laughter!

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A Advent calendar with laughter? Yes, it will do us all a world of good!

Ah… when an idea takes root in our minds and materializes quickly and, above all, easily, it’s a good idea! It also means that the time has come for the idea to come to life.

A few weeks ago – just 3 weeks in fact – I had the idea of creating an advent calendar calendar. A calendar where I’d be live with you, laughing every day from December 1 to 25 inclusive, to help us all (and I include myself in the group!) decompress and arrive at the holidays lighter-hearted, more relaxed and smiling.

I know how much the daily practice of intentional laughter can help. I know because I practice it! hahaha!

And yet…

I’m just like you.

I often arrive on December 24th“tongue-tied“, tired, stressed, running… I have to be on the road for hours to get to my destination. I want everything to go well with my family, to see as many people as possible (I live several hours’ drive from my family), to spend quality time with my parents…

Closing my financial year before I leave, closing all open files, making sure that payments have been made and that “nothing is lying around”.

I’m getting ready to leave for my family with a certain sense of urgency. Don’t forget anything, don’t leave anything behind (I’ll be 4 hours away), plan as much as possible (thanks to my lists!). And because I have a slightly different diet, I also have to plan several menus to bring with me.

It’s the same thing every year!

I don’t feel like laughing!

I’ve noticed that it’s precisely when I least want it that I need it most!

So, as the holidays approach, I’m offering those of you who, like me, may not feel like laughing (too much in the gut, as one friend put it) but badly need to, the chance to join me daily for 15 minutes of liberation and joy.

Libération! Isn’t that a bit much?

Yes, liberation. And no, that’s not too strong. Because we’ll be taking the time to “shake off the dust and the stress” at the start of each program, so that we can then allow ourselves to laugh intentionally and fill up on good humor.

15 minutes. It’s very simple, and it’s more than enough time to recharge our batteries before continuing (or ending) our day. Above all, it’s 15 minutes FOR YOURSELF, a chance to recharge your batteries and get your zygomatic muscles working, making the preparations and the festivities themselves smoother and more serene.

What does daily practice mean?

It creates a HABITUDE. It really does change things, making them happier and lighter. Promise-promise!

I even thought about people who might like to the calendar as a gift for friends or relatives.! (click on the link)

And, of course, to those who have the good idea of doing the calendar as a team! For groups of 10, the individual rate is $25. Think about it! 1 per day for a lighter heart, a smiling face, more patience, creativity and tolerance!

You’re afraid of running out…

Don’t worry, I’m going to make the recordings available for 24 hours every day. You’ll be doing “with me” but on repeat!

Believe me, we’ll all be arriving at December 25 with a healthy, well-established habit to carry us through the final days of 2023… with a smile on our faces!

Would you like to join me in laughing at your Advent Calendar?

I look forward to seeing you on December 1st at noon, Quebec time (6pm FR).

Can’t wait!

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

OH! And it will be bilingual! Advent with Laughter!

P.S. If you like the idea of participating as a team, contact me by e-mail so I can organize your group! info@yogadurire.com

 

 

 

 

What I’ve learned in my years of laughter yoga

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I started practicing laughter yoga in 2003. At the time, I was what you might call a serious, stressed-out manager. I’m not sure if the people who worked with me had that perception, as I’ve always been a fairly good-natured, smiling person.

However, I consider that to have been my reality. “Pressurized” by difficult objectives, tight deadlines, the amount of work required… In short, a pot under constant pressure.

When I sent in my registration for the training weekend in May 2003, I knew I was in for something different. But probably not this different!

Here’s what I learned

1. It’s not as hard as you think to laugh intentionally

Once I’ve decided to start laughing, once I’ve made the physical motion to laugh and I know I have to laugh for at least a minute, I do it. What’s more, when we laugh as a group, the simple fact of hearing others, seeing them laugh, knowing that we’re there to do just that – laugh – has a leverage effect on our laughter! Did you know that we have a special laughter sensor in the brain? So when the detector detects, guess what happens!

In a laughter yoga session, we all start laughing at the same time, on the leader’s signal. When he or she says GO, we all go. Even when I’m practising alone, I hear myself laughing, and every time I do, I catch myself thinking how ridiculous it must look to see myself laughing like that, and THAT makes me laugh!

2. Some exercises work better than others

I admit it. I have my favorite exercises. In the sessions I run at the laughter club, the same people often take part every week. I can’t have them doing the same routine over and over again. So I vary. Some evenings, all the exercises trigger my laughter quickly. Other nights, I look at the list I’ve chosen to do and make a note not to do it again in the future! Of course, I always ask the group if they liked a new exercise that I didn’t like so much. If their opinion is positive, then I bring it back for them. But not for me! Silent laughter, for example, is a must, and it’s terribly effective for me. Silent laughter appeals to the ban on laughter!!!! Mischievous you say!

3. It’s definitely an aerobic exercise

I’m hot, out of breath and red in the face! It’s not jogging, but it feels like it. It’s something I keep an eye on when I’m working with a group. How the participants’ faces look. The heart beats faster, the lungs are hard at work… in short, “ça y va aux toasts” as we sometimes say in Quebec! Which means it’s very energetic. Hence the importance of taking the time to breathe properly between exercises – or during my laughter meditation.

4. I rarely laugh this hard or this long on a daily basis

Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrratively not! In a laughter yoga session, I can easily laugh for 20 minutes. Not necessarily in a row, but certainly 20 minutes in total. On a daily basis, my laughter only lasts a few seconds. Here and there during the day. And then some! That’s on days when I’m not alone in my office or in a particularly good mood. Most of the time, if I’m focused on my work (whether administrative, editorial or creative), I won’t even smile. Unless, of course, I’m holding a straw between my teeth. I smile. I don’t laugh. So a laughter yoga session is great.

5. I can laugh even when I’m not doing so well

I’ve been through all kinds of personal storms over the past 20 years. Bereavements, job losses, physical injuries, arguments… you name it, I’ve been through it. I remember an evening when I had just learned of the death of a close friend just before leaving for the laughter club. I cried on the way to the community center, and then it was as if I’d put my grief on hold for the hour of the session. I was able to lead the meeting, and when I got back to my car, I started crying again. That evening, I realized that during the hour of the session, while I was laughing with the group, I hadn’t been thinking or suffering about my grief. I had been completely in the moment with the participants. The pain hadn’t gone away. It was just “a little on the side” during those moments.

 

6. I don’t feel like I’m forcing myself anymore

People sometimes tell me that they can’t tell the difference and don’t know whether I’m laughing “for real” or “as if”. And neither do I! HAHAHA! I don’t feel like I’m forcing myself anymore. It comes quickly and stays if I decide to keep going. I think that must be the body’s ability to train itself to do something easily and naturally. Once the habit is well established, the body reacts to the first signal to start! A bit like Pavlov’s dogs! It’s the best conditioning you could wish for!

7. After the sessions, I love everyone

You’re right. I look at people on the sidewalk and I just want to compliment them. I look at them and I SEE them! If I felt anger or impatience towards someone before (I’m normal! It happens to me, yes yes!), after the session, those feelings are gone and have given way to openness and tolerance. I’m not saying that I magically forgive everything. No. What happens is that my heart takes over. Not just my head. Notice how you look at the people who make you laugh. Or those around you after a good laugh. It’s like making room for… love after all! Less judgment and evaluation.

8. Laughing makes me creative

I need to take stock of my achievements over the last 20 years, and I have to admit that laughing makes me much more creative! Of course, I know that laughing activates the left side of my brain, the part linked to imagination, love and creativity. I think laughing does stimulate that part of my brain. On the other hand, I think all those exercises I created by improvising during the sessions based on what the participants shared with me, that’s all about PLAY. I’ve certainly started playing again by practising laughter yoga. Because laughter is a game! At least, the way we start the exercises, the way we interpret reality in a more playful light, is an invitation to play. And play means creativity!

9. I don’t care what others think of me when I lead a session.

HAHAHA! I know that many must look at me and think that I’m not doing anything serious! That I’m maybe even weird or strange or… a little crazy! I know because – I confess – that’s probably what I would have thought myself 21 years ago! As I lead a session, I’m focused on the participants. On their complexion, their faces, their smiles. When I’m with a group, I invite them all to start the exercise at the same time and follow me. No one can judge anyone… except maybe me, because I demonstrate before giving them the GO.

I KNOW how liberating and beneficial what I’m doing to them is. So what do some people think of me? I don’t really care! The important thing is to make sure things are done right for optimum effect. Am I wrong? I laugh! I say the wrong word? I laugh! And believe me, I do goof up sometimes! I’m probably the best example of how to LAUGH AT YOURSELF!

10. All are beautiful when they laugh

Certainly. I have no hesitation in making and statement! Eyes sparkle. Cheeks are rosier. A sparkle lights up the eyes. Even toothless mouths are more beautiful. I read a long time ago that laughter is good for sex appeal. Well, I don’t know, but what I do know is that I’ve never seen a serious face more beautiful than a smiling one. If you’re holding back laughter because you don’t like your teeth, don’t stop! You look at your eyes when you laugh! What’s more, it’s the energy the person gives off that is felt. A beautiful, positive, vibrant, loving energy. Don’t you think that’s beautiful? HAHAHA! I think just like you.

 

 

That’s all I’ve learned… and more! Because my main discovery is that laughing brings out the best in me!

Laugh with me, will you?

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

Celebrating loved ones

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Do you take the time to celebrate the people you love?

To do a small gesture – a little extra – to please them, to make them smile?

Preparing breakfast, complimenting them, winking with a smile, noticing a positive detail… telling them you love them.

No matter.

Do you do that?

Today is my mother’s birthday.

I took the time to make the drive to spend a few hours with her.

And when I say “hitting the road”, I mean driving 4 hours on muddy highways on a Thursday afternoon to celebrate her birthday and her presence in my life.

I’m not saying this to make you think “Oh what a good girl for her mother!” HAHAHA!

I’m sharing this with you because I think it’s really important to CHOOSE where we put our time and energy. The PEOPLE (not the things) in our lives that matter to us are the ones we should celebrate.

This summer, I read something that made an image for me. That of a tree.

Here’s what it basically said

Some people in life are like leaves. They’re there for a while, then they’re gone with the wind.

Then there are other people who are like branches. They stand there and resist, but not everything. Then they fall.

There are also people who are like the trunk of the tree. They are solid and strong, and can be counted on to stay.

Finally, there are the people who are like the roots of the tree. The ones who make everything else stand up, grow, blossom and become strong. The very foundation!

The lesson I learned

It doesn’t matter whether you’re surrounded by leaves, branches, trunks or roots, make the distinction and invest your time where it counts most.

But celebrate every part of your “trees” because, without leaves, we’d have no shade and no photosynthesis! Branches – no matter how small – hold the leaves and… begin their life from the trunk. Roots draw their strength from the earth, and without them, nothing would stand. And every part COUNTS.

Each person is in our lives – whether for a time of leaves, a time of branches, a time of trunk or a time of roots.

I think it’s worth the joy of celebrating every part! Let’s celebrate each person as they deserve.

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

 

If I had known what I know now

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We often hear this phrase. If I had known what I know now…

I confess, when I realized the impact of stress on the brain and how it absolutely cannot work in the same way at that moment, I thought “this explains it”! If I had known what I know now, I would certainly have taken steps to relax before my exams at school (from high school to university)!

“Stress eventually becomes harmful. Over time, high cortisol levels degrade the brain and other body systems. This kind of brain damage is associated with a number of health problems, including depressive and anxiety disorders, as well as memory loss and dementia.” Let’s talk science

Imagine this scene.

You’re in a large auditorium – at the theater or elsewhere – and suddenly the power goes out. What happens?

The lights go out and those that come on are just the little beacons to indicate emergency exits.

In a way, this is the same phenomenon that occurs in the brain when we’re under stress. The lights go out – the circuits that aren’t ESSENTIAL to our survival shut down – and all that’s left are tiny spotlights that shine dimly to show us which way to go.

What are “non-essential” circuits?

Just think about it. Patience, communication, concentration, a sense of humor… and that’s what will keep me alive. Nervous reflexes, more adrenalin, faster heartbeat, shorter breathing, etc.

Had I known…

I’m sure I’m not the only one to have stood in front of my exam paper and been left completely blank by questions I knew the answers to the night before! When I got to the exam room, I now realize that I was developing a higher level of stress. Hello closed circuits! Impossible to remember anything! My brain didn’t work in the same way at all!

Why am I telling you all this?

Because everyone in exam time (children and adults alike) risks experiencing this “radio silence” if they let themselves be overwhelmed by stress! The circuits won’t work as well BECAUSE OF STRESS!

Once you’re aware of the impact stress has on brain function and know the quickest way to zap stress effectively, you can change things!

You know what medium I’m talking about, don’t you? HAHAHA! YES!!! LAUGH!

So my little 5-cent tip* is to take a few minutes before entering the exam room to breathe slowly and LAUGH. For at least 3 minutes! Laugh and breathe. It’s the best way to calm your nervous system, center yourself and reset your circuits before the stressful activity.

I say it sometimes. If I had known what I know now, I might be a dentist right now! HAHAHAHAHA!

Here’s a little gift to help you.

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

*Do you know Charlie Brown? How about Lucy’s consultation counter where she charges 5 cents for her advice? See? hihihi!

World Laughter Day 2023

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You may be wondering why there’s a World Laughter Day?

Because it’s important to remember from time to time just how much good laughter can do in our troubled world.

As I celebrate 20 years of practicing laughter yoga, I feel an even greater urgency to realize that when we laugh, we are TOGETHER! No power struggles, no arguments, no tension.

It’s a beautiful way to peace within us and around us!

Here’s the message I’ve prepared for this year.

MESSAGE FROM LINDA LECLERC, FOUNDER OF THE SCHOOL OF LAUGHTER YOGA

Nothing works as quickly on our state of mind as laughter. While we’re laughing together, it’s impossible to fight or stay angry! Laughter is a wonderful universal language that has the potential to unite mankind. Smile at someone and chances are they’ll smile back – and you’ll both feel great!

Every person possesses this wealth and treasure, which is a renewable resource! The more we laugh, the more we want to laugh and the easier it is to laugh!

In darker times, we can remember that the sun is still shining. Laughter is like the sun, bringing good cheer and light into our lives.

We all need a good laugh. The world is constantly in turmoil, and our sense of helplessness and insecurity is growing.

It’s not the first time, nor will it be the last, that we experience difficult times. Ups and downs are part of life. Quality of life doesn’t depend on what happens to us, but rather on how we react in these moments. We can’t change external circumstances. The easiest thing we can do is to change the way we feel inside, so now is the time to laugh intentionally – to light up our hearts and unite us.

Laughing helps us cultivate a positive mental attitude and develop love, forgiveness, generosity and compassion. These are the virtues we need for peace and harmony in our world.

I dream of the day when we’ll all be able to LAUGH – without judgment – simply by letting our hearts open to joy and life, thinking of all the good we do through this simple exercise. The good we do for ourselves, of course, but also the good we do for all mankind. The more we laugh, the happier we feel, and the more our joy is reflected around us… like circles in the water.

Today, all over the world, people will be laughing to join the great planetary community of laughers… making a concrete gesture to help reduce fears and tensions through the joyful sounds of laughter. An ambitious goal, but an achievable one, since RIRE UNIT!

Whether you’re alone or with others, today take the time to LAUGH for at least a minute! Open your arms to the sky and laugh! You’ll be part of a great movement that sends waves of love around the world. Call someone and laugh together! Make someone laugh as you walk by… It doesn’t matter! Share a moment of laughter.

I wish everyone a day filled with smiles and LAUGHTER! The kind that comes from the heart and spills out to those around us. The kind that makes our faces shine and our eyes sparkle, that makes us more tolerant and gentle with ourselves and others. It’s the kind we gradually rediscover through practice, and which helps us to live more serenely, with a lighter heart… I wish us HEARTY LAUGHTER!

And it’s LAUGHTER that I’m proposing to you too. Reach for the sky and send your laughter high. Really do it today. And why not every day?

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

If you’re in Montreal that day, join me at Centre St-Pierre (1212 rue Panet, métro Beaudry) in room 1205 from 1 to 2 p.m. for an hour of celebration and laughter! Register here to get your share of the cake (a party without cake isn’t a party!). And if you can’t physically be with me, participate live on the Laughter Yoga School YouTube channel!

Find a laughing partner

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I can’t remember where or when, but I read an article a friend was writing, in which he mentioned the importance of having a “laugh partner”. The idea may make you smile, but it’s an excellent one!

When I train laughter yoga facilitators, I always invite them to identify the people in their lives who help them to laugh.

Why?

For the simple reason that they help us stay healthy!

The social element of our lives has taken a beating since the start of the pandemic. We haven’t seen each other for months! And for the vast majority, the isolation has been more than a blow to morale.

No matter whether we’re going through a stormy, stressful time or not, the people around us who make us laugh are “essential services”! Guardian angels. Lifelines.

Take a look around you. I’m sure if you think about it, you’ll find one or more people who make you laugh when you meet or talk to them.

That’s who you need to surround yourself with. To create a positive network that keeps you in shape!

Back in 2003, when I was training to become a laughter yoga facilitator, when I was asked to “Write down three things that make you laugh”, I wrote the name of a friend in my notebook. This friend always has the gift of making me laugh (at all sorts of trivial things!!). I realized that we didn’t talk very often, but whenever we did, I always laughed myself to tears! So I resolved to multiply the opportunities to talk to him and meet him. Precisely because we’re both always laughing. I feel like I’ve recharged my battery of good humor. Even though we often make fun of each other, we always laugh heartily and leave with a lighter heart.

Finding a laughter partner can have many benefits for your physical and emotional well-being.

  1. Stress reduction: Laughter is a natural way to reduce stress and anxiety. When you laugh, your body releases endorphins, which are hormones that give you a feeling of well-being and relaxation.
  2. Improved mental health: Laughter can also improve your mental health by reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. It can help you feel happier and more optimistic.
  3. Strengthening social relationships: Laughing with others can strengthen social bonds and help you feel more connected to others. It can also improve your self-confidence and your ability to communicate with others.
  4. Improved physical health: Laughter can benefit your physical health by boosting the immune system, improving circulation and reducing pain.
  5. Reduced isolation: Finding a laughter partner can help you break out of isolation and engage more with the world around you. This can be particularly beneficial if you’re experiencing stress or loneliness.

In short, finding a laughter partner can have many benefits for your overall well-being. So don’t hesitate to laugh often and seek out people with whom you can share this positive experience.

Do you?

I encourage you to find one (or more!) laughing partners!

It could even be one of your grandchildren, if you have any! It’s great to show our offspring that we’re capable of being playful and laughing out loud! It’s an important lesson to teach them how to laugh for the rest of their lives.

Really, put it on your to-do list! And cherish your laughter partners.

Well, I just called mine and left him a voicemail that’s sure to make him smile! Want to know what I said? “Your text says you’ll call me back. Is that true? At what time? On what day? Are you going to call me to confirm when? In the meantime, I was calling to say hello… (pause) Hello! Ok Bye!”

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

P.S. Oh, and if you want me to be your laughing partner for a few days, sign up for the MORAL BOOST capsules!

When you’re proud of yourself…

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HA! Being proud of yourself. Does this happen to you often?

I closed one of my talks at the Good Mood Summit with a quote that basically said that we often spend weeks thinking about what’s difficult in our lives, but only celebrate what’s great for an hour.

It’s true. I too have a tendency to dwell on what’s not going so well.

I’ve just experienced something that makes me think about just that.

Today I was feeling tired and not particularly cheerful. It happens. I welcome and show kindness to myself when it does. I know it’s TEMPORARY.

My light space isn’t really about administration and web design. I usually leave that to those who have the talent. I’m meticulous. I have ideas. But what about detail and finishing? No patience for that. I was going to say I have no imagination either, but that’s not the case. I’m rather ignorant. And when you don’t know all the possibilities of something, you use it as little as possible, don’t you? Bingo!

Anyway, I was trying to solve a little technical problem with our newsletter subscriptions. For the past week, someone had been telling me that she was trying to subscribe without success. What’s more, she really wanted to receive the two gifts that come with the subscription (an infographic and an audio). I tried all sorts of ways, but nothing worked. I just couldn’t figure it out.

No need to panic.

So I called in Michael, my wonderful expert, who took the time to fix what seemed to be wrong. He also took the opportunity to activate the double option for entries. Safer, in his opinion.

Except that, in doing so, when I tried to add my address for testing, I received a welcome message in English. I really don’t like this kind of situation. So I searched for quite a while to find a place where I could modify this form! To no avail!

The beauty of all these online tools and programs is that when we pay to use them, they usually offer effective support. That’s the case with this provider. So I struck up a conversation with a certain Esmeralda and asked her my question. She took the time to write me a long paragraph explaining in detail what I needed to do. But I panicked a little! I asked her to stay with me for a few moments to “hold my hand” while I tried to rectify the situation. Which she did.

Eureka! After a few minutes, the mystery was solved and the form was translated into French. Hallelujah! Thanks Esmeralda and have a nice evening.

It didn’t stop there!

As I was about to leave the form, my finger touched a key that took me somewhere “magical”! I discovered the place from which I could modify the visuals and make the whole thing (all in all, very boring and not warm at all) more in the image of the School of Laughter Yoga, i.e. more colorful and lively!

YES!!!

And I’ve modified the header of these forms!

The sense of pride I felt friends!… All because I had just learned something I never knew existed! And I did it “by mistake”! All by myself!

You would have seen my back straighten, my smile widen, my eyes shine! Pride changed my energy of the moment!

So much so, that I’ve chosen to share it with you. To make my sense of pride last a little longer. To immortalize it! hahahaha!

So here’s a little challenge for you. What could you do to feel proud of yourself right now? Something big or small. Try a recipe with ingredients you don’t know? Walk a little farther than usual? Learn the words to a song in a foreign language? Complete a task that’s been weighing on you for a while?

TRY IT ON! Just try it!

and let me know how you’re getting on!

I’m going to continue celebrating this little victory over my “incompetence”!

WOOHOO!!! Tap on the shoulder and cheer up.

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

P.S. Even if you missed all 17 conferences of the Good Mood Summit live, you can now watch them all at your own pace by subscribing to Planète Joie!

The Good Mood Summit!

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Start the year by doing something for YOU!

Need to change things? Lighten up your life? To nourish your being with something benevolent, smiling, beneficial?

The Good Mood Summit is practical, fun and concrete. Find out which tools can help you bring lightness into your life.

A daily dose of morale booster and inspiration.

Each day, two experts will enlighten you and share – live with you – a different tool.

You’ll enjoy discovering every day that there’s such a great source of little moments that change your mood for the better!

From January 21 to 29, 2022, two conferences/workshops each day.

17 international speakers to inspire you.

Eight days to take the time to put “good mood” resources into practice.

Do you have any idea of what will be presented?

  • Qu’il y a dans ma trousse bonne humeur (Linda Leclerc)
  • La voix de la bonne humeur / un enchantement de soi (William Herremy)
  • To be or not to be, that is the question (Jean-Christophe Seznec)
  • Mood-enhancing foods and healthy recipes (Julie Barbeau Capruciu)
  • The power of the heart / NeuroJoy (Antoinette Layoun)
  • Cardiac coherence: generating well-being from the heart (Guy Lacroix)
  • Mandala of Joy (Guylaine Leblanc)
  • Positive keys to self-revelation (Justine Chabane)
  • Playing for laughs and growth (Sébastien Gendry)
  • The Optimist Challenge (Rosanna Bruzzone)
  • Wonder: putting stars in the eyes of young and old alike! (Élise Mareuil)
  • Programming a good mood with NLP and humanist hypnosis (Sonia Dumont)
  • Reactive vs. proactive: mood physiology and BrainGym (Lisa Marcovici)
  • Bringing play back into life (Julien Peschot)
  • Joy meditation (Corinne Cosseron)
  • Laugh it up (Linda Leclerc)
  • Extasy Dance Bonne Humeur (Nat Barrera)

And it all starts with a FREE pre-event conference on January 18, En route vers la bonne humeur (William and Catherine Herremy and Linda Leclerc).

All the information is on the Summit website

Nuggets of inspiration every minute!!! Here’s what’s in store!

Does burnout sound familiar?

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Does burnout sound familiar? Having found myself on the verge of burnout a few years ago, I know what I’m talking about!

Many factors lead to burnout, but long-term, permanent stress is certainly the main culprit.

During the pandemic, cases of burnout increased, partly due to people working longer hours while working from home, and being even more stressed than normal. At my conferences these days, I even suggest that participants give themselves a bonus point for the level of stress they feel.

So what can you do to avoid burnout?

One of the simplest and easiest things to do is to take more breaks.

Not only will this improve your mental health and reduce the risk of burnout, it will also improve your productivity. Ultimately, you’ll get more done, because regular breaks will improve your concentration. This means you’ll be able to work fewer hours, helping to further prevent burnout.

A study by Owl Labs in 2020 showed that people working from home worked an average of 26 hours more per month, or almost an extra day per week. 26 MORE hours!!!

Even though working from home has many advantages, it does something strange to our way of thinking. We feel guilty taking breaks when we think we should be working. So we often don’t, and just get on with it.

Unfortunately, not taking breaks doesn’t save you time in the long run. On the contrary, your productivity decreases as your brain becomes exhausted, causing you to slow down, lose concentration and make more and more mistakes.

The good news is that your breaks don’t have to be long to be beneficial. A few minutes’ break can make a huge difference to your state of mind and your ability to concentrate for longer.

Overall, you’ll need a good mix of longer and shorter breaks for optimum benefit. This includes a proper lunch break, a good night’s rest with a relaxing evening, weekends and vacations to completely unplug and recharge.

How to make the most of your breaks

  • Write down your breaks in your diary. Set alarms so that you don’t “go straight through”. That way, you’ll be more likely to stick to them. Write down what you’re going to do during your break, for example, go for a walk or read a book, or join a laughter group on URGENCE RIRE for energizing and relaxing 10-15 minute breaks. Your brain will be oxygenated, you’ll feel more relaxed and continue your work with smiling energy.
  • Choose an activity that takes you away from your work. Don’t use it to check e-mail or social media. No. Do something else. Like LAUGH!

Most people can’t concentrate for more than 90 minutes at a time, which is how often you’ll need a mini-break. You’ll notice that you need a break when your mind starts to wander, you begin to procrastinate or you make more mistakes.

Wouldn’t you keep driving your car if the engine started to overheat?

HA! You’d take a break to let it cool off. Don’t treat your body any worse than you would your car!

Jaw clenching? Time to relax a little!

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Laughter, joy and health

Linda

p.s. To consult the 2022 results