Laughter is needed for Self Care

So we are a few days into 2022. Are you tip-toeing into it as much as I am? I know that you have seen those memes too:

I know that I for one felt like this! How about you?

There are some times that it feels like the past 2 years have flown by. Until you realize that it may feel like this because of lack of family gatherings, or public outings due to COVID restrictions.

And then, there are some times that the last 2 years seem like they are taking forever. Especially when it comes to inflation recovery, or waiting for that pay raise so that you can once again afford gasoline in order to be able to drive to said job.

But, I'm not here to talk about politics or the many reasons that we are in the economic situation that we are in now over 2 years after the original strain of COVID-19 hit our country.

What I am here to talk about, is something that we have all learned the over the past two years of this pandemic. Self-care is not selfish, and is extremely important!

Not everyone needs to go into therapy like I have had the past 3 years. And if you don't, I am so happy for you! But, that doesn't mean that you don't need to focus on your own physical and mental self-care. Nor does it mean that you have nothing that you need to work on. Everyone has trauma, and everyone has bumps and bruises from their past that affect who they are now.

For those of you that have deep cuts or scars and for whatever reasons have not searched out therapy - let me say that I understand. I walked around for over 30 years with deep unhealed wounds that were not healed, or had not healed correctly before I was trapped by my Physician and forced into therapy. I just pray that none of you are that bad off that you have to go through that. Hopefully you are self-aware enough to know and reach out when you need help.

With that said, I want to share with you all a program that is offered at a local church near you. It is called "Mending the Soul". You are able to get the books through Amazon and can work on it y yourself. But, I am going to tell you that if you have the courage to search out a group and work with this group through the program - it has a much bigger impact and can help you work through and heal some of these wounds. To find a group near you goto:

https://mendingthesoul.org/participate/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAoNWOBhCwARIsAAiHnEhZCWoz0qBubHfDZafCthSykAkxriIovQi_Iqcxhoul8EO0MVDc8Z0aAogvEALw_wcB

You will need to get a book and a workbook for the group (or again, you can get these and work on it alone.) You can find it here by clicking this link. But, I must also tell you that I am an Amazon Associate, and that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This is the book:

This is the workbook:

I will warn you. You will only get out of it what you put into it. But, if you put your heart into it - you will see a huge difference when you have completed them. And - that is what we want for 2022 isn't it? A transformation? A change?

LOL! I love the minions. I don't even know what draws me to them. Maybe it's the sarcasm. Maybe it's there facial expressions. But, they literally make me laugh out loud! "Humor is an important survival skill. Laughter is good for us. It produces positive chemical changes in our bodies." (Ron Breazeale Ph.D., https://www.psychologytoday.com/)

So, with that in mind - one of my goals for 2022 is to laugh more. So, I have searched out some new reads or podcasts that can help me with that. I don't know if she has come up on your Facebook feed or not. But, my latest find is Kristina Kuzmic.

I'll admit, I am not a huge Oprah fan. I know... I know... I'm horrible. So, I didn't know anything about Kristina or the fact that she was one of the finalists to get her own show on the O network when that was starting. I admittedly live under a rock, and didn't know who she was until about 6 months ago when she popped up on my Facebook feed, and I watched one of her videos and instantly fell in love with her!

So, right before Christmas, I got myself a birthday present - and bought her book:

This is honestly one the best books I have purchased in a while. She draws you in instantly, and captures your heart because she is so relatable! (Oh how I wish I could be like that more.) But, one of the things that I love most about her - is that even though she has been knocked down, she got back up! And, she was able to find the humor in it all. And, she isn't afraid to conquer the tough stuff. She has tackled mental health and is taking a public platform with her son and is trying to make it not so scary for parents that are dealing with similar situations. She is a Mom that is there to support other Moms! And, that is the best thing ever, because honestly - don't we all need someone like that in our corner?

So, if you don't know who she is... let me introduce you to Kristina Kuzmic! https://www.facebook.com/KristinaKuzmic

But, more importantly, it's important that you find something/someone that you can connect with that you can find humor in and that it is easily accessible for you as well. And that you access that stream of humor on a regular basis.

I'd love to hear where you it is that you find your humor. Please comment and share. We all have those days that we need to pull something funny out - rather than our hair out.

Thank you for stopping, and taking a break with me today. Let's pick up our bag and continue on our journey!