Today, the day of dressing up and eating candy in some parts of the world, is a good day to have some light-hearted fun.
The first time that someone told me that we were born to experience joy and happiness, I did not believe them. No way! If that is true, then we wouldn’t experience so much hardship, right? And yet, life should not be so serious. Having a good laugh with friends (or with yourself) replaces the cortisol (stress hormone) in our blood with coveted brain chemicals: dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins. Dopamine has the potential to boost learning, motivation, and focus.
Laughter helps us to solve problems and find solutions, while staying stressed keeps us in a spiral of – well, the opposite. We can’t think clearly and our thoughts loop in the same negative sequence. That is a serious call to have fun and laugh together.
But here is something really cool – to get the benefits of those feel-good chemicals, you only need to pretend to laugh and smile. You can be having the worst day, feeling stressed, and the thought of laughing or having fun causes you to snort with derision.
‘Ha!’ you say, ‘There is no time for laughter with all this stress!’
“I am thankful for laughter,
~Woody Allen
except when milk comes out of my nose.”
And that’s when you bring out your pen and hold it between your teeth as if you were grimacing (smiling) at your computer. (A few long inhales and exhales also help here.) Before long, your brain will think you are really smiling and you will start to feel like there is more space between your thoughts.
🌻 If you want to supercharge this hack, 🌻
pretend to laugh, too.
Just laugh out loud, wherever you are!
The people next to you on the train will give you more space (a win)
and the people at work will think you are a bit crazy and also give you more space
(double win).
Let me know what you are doing to have fun and play this holiday.
If you need more of a boost, join us on our retreat in March where fun and laughter are on the menu.
“Hearty laughter is a good way
~Norman Cousins
to jog internally without having to go outdoors.”
Behind the Scenes
I am very excited with the QC’s new phase which is unfolding. Here is a peek behind the scenes at the filming for the Recipe Club, as well as the recording of more video content from me. We are hatching online courses as well as a few other exciting projects.
✨ Time for another happy dance! ✨
Richard and Andrea created mouth-watering dishes which we got to eat 😋
This week in the Recipe Club
Try out this spooky twist on the classic potato gratin, if you dare!
Get ready to spookify your taste buds with our eerie Potato Gratin recipe, perfect for Halloween night. Layer upon layer of thinly sliced potatoes, sinisterly rich cheese sauce, and a dash of mysterious herbs create a dish that’s both delicious and spine-tingling. As it bakes, the cheese bubbles and turns into a ghostly crust that will haunt your taste buds with each savoury bite.
Serve this creepy potato gratin alongside any other ghoulish favourites.🥳
