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

2. Beyond Funny

3. 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

4. What is Humor?

5. 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).

6. 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.

7. Practice Time
Video #1: Baby Laughing

8. Unhealthy Humor

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

10. 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

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

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

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

14. 5. Humor and Business Staying Power Brand Identity
Customer Appreciation

15. 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?

16. Practice Time Video #2: Conference Call in Real Life

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

18. 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?

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

20. 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

21. Brain Gym, Workshops, Online Coaching, and more
Visit our website or for more information on our programs and services.
Free brain gym, live and virtual workshops, individual and group coaching, and recharge retreats.