Mastering Your Mindset Beyond Funny: How to Use Humor to Build a Better Brain with Heidi Hanna

Beyond Funny

Energy Management Physical Emotional Mental Spiritual Social Think about how humor impacts our energy across multiple dimensions…consider a time you had a good belly laugh. What happened within your brain? Your body? Your heart? Were you alone or with someone else? Emotional Mental Spiritual Social

What is Humor?

Where Does Humor Happen? As you likely know, there are three primary parts to the brain: the basic lizard brain, the emotional monkey brain, and the theoretically more logical human brain. We can also see these as representative of our most basic physical needs, our emotional functioning, and higher spiritual processes. Humor stimuli affect us across both hemispheres and all 3 dimensions via laughter (physical), humor (emotional), and wit (cognitive).

Making Connections When we find something fun we experience the “kick of discovery”, which stimulates positive reward chemicals like dopamine and feel good chemicals like serotonin. This shift in brain chemistry provides a much more ideal foundation for learning, communication and energy management. We move away being focused on surviving into an opportunity for thriving. Stress hormones go down making our entire system more effective.

Practice Time Video #1: Baby Laughing

Unhealthy Humor

Humor Works Health and Happiness Brain Performance Communications Relationships Sales and Marketing

1. Humor and Health Reduces Stress Lowers Cortisol Decreases Inflammation Boosts Immune Function Improves Circulation Relaxes Muscles Reduces Depression Increases Energy Enhances Social Support Stimulates Oxytocin

2. Humor and the Brain Mental Massage Sticky Neurons Improves Memory Reduces Brain Fog Boosts Creativity

3. Humor and Communications Levels the Playing Field Reduces Tension Shared Experience Improves Flexibility Enhances Creativity

4. Humor and Relationships Reduces Stress Stimulates Oxytocin Mirror Neurons Shared Memories Increases Appreciation

5. Humor and Business Staying Power Brand Identity Customer Appreciation

Practice Time Humor visualization: last time you laughed out loud or funniest thing that happened to you lately. Recall how it felt. See the experience. What do you notice?

Practice Time Video #2: Conference Call in Real Life

The How of Humor Appreciator versus Initiator Seeing funny: Yellow Car Create a Beyond Funny Folder Daily Humor Strategies Have a Humor Buddy

Practice Time Humor visualization: last time you laughed out loud or funniest thing that happened to you lately. Recall how it felt. See the experience. What do you notice?

Practice Time Video #3: Monkey Sees a Trick Monkey sees a trick

Facebook: @webeyondfunny Your Beyond Funny Challenge…. Beginner: 3-5 minutes every morning to see funny and share funny (3-5 mins in morning to see/share funny) Intermediate: 3-5 minutes to see/share funny plus 3 beyond funny breaks during the day Advanced: 3-5 minute in morning see/share, 3 beyond funny breaks, plus evening share of what was funniest to you today with FB community, friend or family. #BeyondFunny Facebook: @webeyondfunny

Brain Gym, Workshops, Online Coaching, and more Visit our website or email info@synergyprograms.com for more information on our programs and services. Free brain gym, live and virtual workshops, individual and group coaching, and recharge retreats. heidi@heidihanna.com www.heidihanna.com