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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
InHappiness takes this opportunity to thank
the following organizations. Their help and support
enabled the development of the JOYGYM Happiness System.
USAID/PEPFAR (United States Agency for International Development,
The United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief)
University of the Witwatersrand Center for Excellence in Palliative Care
Department of Education – Gauteng Province (South Africa)
HPCA (Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa)
SACBC (Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference)
Department of Social Development (South Africa)
Hospice in the West (Krugersdorp South Africa)
Matlosana Hospice (Klerksdorp South Africa)
Laughter Yoga International (Mumbai, India)
Hospice Association of the Witwatersrand
(Johannesburg & Soweto, South Africa)
AngloGold Ashanti (South Africa)
Xstrata Minerals (South Africa)
FHI (Family Health International)
EAP Association (South Africa)
Standard Bank (South Africa)
Sparta Foods (South Africa)
Cotlands (South Africa)
DEDICATIONS
From Bill
To Peter and Lillian Webber and Sannie Grobler.
Your lives taught me Happiness Intelligence.
From Malik
To my compass and rudder. Thank you Ambereen for your love,
joy, happiness and laughter. Thank you for accepting this adventure
with me, and for putting up with me along the way. I love you.
From Memory
Section 1: HAPPINESS
Re-discovering Happiness .................................... 1
The New Science of Happiness .............................. 4
Happiness Myths .............................................. 10
Happiness ...................................................... 13
Unhappiness ................................................... 18
Stress ........................................................... 18
Unhappifiers .................................................. 26
Depression ..................................................... 27
The How of Happiness ....................................... 32
Emotional Intelligence ...................................... 36
Happiness Intelligence....................................... 37
Building Happiness ........................................... 40
Delivering Happiness ........................................ 41
Happiness University ........................................ 43
JOYGYM Happiness System ................................. 46
Elements of Happiness ...................................... 47
Aerobic Laughter ............................................. 50
Understanding Laughter .................................... 51
Is Laughter the Best Medicine? ............................ 55
Natural and Organic ......................................... 57
Laughing with Children ...................................... 64
Learning Aerobic Laughter ................................. 68
JOYGYM Programs ............................................ 71
The Happiness Advantage .................................. 74
Organizational Programs .................................... 77
Happiness through Service ................................. 81
Happiness Volunteers ........................................ 83
Section 2: HEALING WITH HAPPINESS
Healing with Happiness ..................................... 89
The AIDS Pandemic .......................................... 89
The Caregiver Explosion .................................... 91
Caregiver Syndrome ......................................... 93
Patient Syndrome ............................................ 95
OVC Syndrome ................................................ 97
Our Commitment ............................................. 99
Defining the Goals ........................................... 99
Development ................................................ 100
Re-discovering Happiness
Twenty-first century science has developed amazing new tools and
technology.
For the first time we are able to look inside the human mind and body
and watch what is happening in real time.
What researchers and scientists are seeing is often very different from
accepted ‘knowledge’. They’re creating a new understanding of how our
bodymind works.
The distinction between body and mind is fast disappearing — we are
one interlinked and interdependent system.
One of the most surprising discoveries is the importance of happiness,
and the powerful effects of both happiness and unhappiness on our
bodymind.
Happiness is a major determinant of our mental and physical health, our
success in all aspects of life, and even how long we live.
Our happiness level is much more important than we believed.
They cope better with stress, are better negotiators and are better at
conflict resolution. Happy people are better and more efficient decision
makers.
Happy people are the first to be employed, get promoted faster,
perform better, earn more money, have greater influence on group
decisions, and perform more helpful acts of kindness. Happy people are
more successful in education. They learn faster, retain knowledge
longer, are better at applying knowledge, and perform better in tests
and examinations.
The research is in — increased happiness will make us a better and more
successful brother, sister, mother, father, parent, child, friend,
volunteer, student, employee, manager or boss.
It is human nature to seek and enjoy happiness.
The new science of happiness shows that building Happiness Intelligence
is the natural way to achieve happiness.
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POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
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DIFFERENT WORLDS
Each of us lives in a different world.
When we are happy, our world can be a great place, filled with fun,
satisfaction and people that we enjoy interacting with.
On the other hand when we are unhappy or angry or depressed, our
world can be a miserable place full of annoyances and disappointments.
We may feel that other people are there just to make us unhappy, and
we even wish that they would go away and leave us alone.
Where would you rather live? Most people choose the happy world.
Positive psychology tells us that we have the power to decide which of
these worlds to inhabit. Given the right techniques and training we can
take control of our own happiness.
HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE
Many people take a fatalist view of happiness:
“You seem sad today John.”
“Yes, I got out on the wrong side of bed.”
This attitude implies that there is some outside person or force
determining John’s level of happiness.
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The reality is quite different. There is no one with a remote control and
wicked sense of humor that decides, “I’m going to make John wake up
miserable this morning.” Or tomorrow decides, “He’ll wake up happy,
but at noon I’ll crash his mood.”
Mood is a choice that we have the power to control.
All we need is the right tools and the determination to use them well.
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HAPPINESS IS CONTAGIOUS
Both happiness and unhappiness are contagious.
Get on a bus where someone won’t stop complaining about something,
and chances are that we’ll get off the bus more stressed and unhappy
than when we climbed aboard.
Get on another bus where someone is celebrating a wonderful event or
cracking happy jokes, and chances are we’ll get off feeling happier.
American professors from Harvard University and the University of
California published a study that followed 4,739 individuals from 1983 to
2003 to track how happiness spreads.
They found that happiness is contagious up to three degrees of
separation (for example, to the friends of one’s friends’ friends).
People surrounded by happy people are more likely to become happy in
the future.
Nearby mutual friends that become happy increase our probability of
happiness by 63%.
Similar increases are seen when co-resident spouses, family members
and next door neighbors become happier.
When a friend living within half a mile becomes happy, our chances of
happiness increase by 42%. Increase the distance to a mile (about 1.6
km) and this reduces to 25%. At two miles it drops to 22%, and drops
further at greater distances.
HAPPINESS IS SOCIAL
Happy people have more friends, and lonely people are less likely to be
happy.
This isn’t rocket science. Happiness is contagious. We seek out and
spend time with happy people because it makes us happier.
That means that happy people are more popular. They enjoy a richer
social life and have more friends.
If we are unhappy, we’re less likely to have lots of friends and more
likely to be lonely.
That’s also simple: when we feel unhappy, we interact with people in a
negative way and they avoid us to protect their happiness.
Beware. Unhappiness and loneliness are also contagious.
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POSITIVITY
Positivity is really important to our happiness.
Research shows that we pay more attention to bad things that happen to
us and make us unhappy (negative affect) than to good things that make
us feel happy (positive affect).
We also dwell on bad things for longer than on good things.
Positive psychologists calculate that we need three or more good things
to compensate for every bad thing.
A ratio of three positives for every negative provides a happy balance in
our lives where we can operate well and flourish.
This ratio of positive affect to negative affect is called ‘positivity ratio’
— an important measure of happiness, health and success.
SELF DISCOVERY
A good place to start is using a process of self discovery to identify
personal unhappifiers. Once we know our enemies it is easier to find
ways to deal with them.
Self discovery can also help to build mindfulness, a powerful tool for
reducing negative affect.
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REVERT TO NORMAL
Our happiness level is not fixed — it’s dynamic and subject to change.
When good things happen it increases, and vice versa.
In most cases, changes in happiness level are short lived. We tend to
revert to our normal happiness level.
We believe that if something amazing and wonderful happens — let’s say
we win the lottery — then we’ll suddenly become much happier.
But studies of lottery winners show that they may be happier for a
while, but they soon revert to normal.
The opposite is also true. Victims of crippling accidents reported short-
term unhappiness, after which their happiness tended to revert to
normal.
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Happiness Myths
A few happiness myths that have gained wide acceptance can actually
cause great unhappiness.
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It’s a lie.
Some of these events might increase our happiness for a short time, but
this boost soon disappears.
How long does the thrill of that new car last? Generally as long as the
‘new car’ smell. Then we get used to it and life returns to normal.
Happiness is not a when. When is a destination.
Happiness lies in the journey. Happiness lies in every minute of every
day. It’s up to us to seek it out, nurture and enjoy it.
Forget the destination and enjoy every minute of the journey.
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EMPTY PROMISES
Twentieth century advertising implies that we are miserable and will
always remain miserable, and are probably are not deserving of
happiness.
Unless we buy…
this washing powder, dishwashing liquid, insurance, banking, or
brand of fashion, cosmetics, accessories, car, ketchup,
computer, phone, pad, political party, candidate…
Ads work hard to show ‘cool, hip and happy’ people that achieve a
blissful state by making the ‘right’ purchase.
It’s a lie!
Those are actors modeling in cleverly written, styled and produced
fiction.
Advertisers spend millions to produce these ads hoping to influence our
next purchase.
Do you think they care about our happiness?
Or taking our money?
The clever psychological programming built into ads really can convince
us that we’ll feel happier.
It’s an empty promise.
Any flashes of gratification we may experience don’t contribute to our
Happiness Intelligence.
BUYING HAPPINESS
Advertising promotes the myth of ‘buying happiness’.
This lie led to an explosion of wasteful consumerism that has gobbled up
planetary resources, made a few people very wealthy, and tricked huge
populations into working harder and harder to try to buy their way to
happiness.
In the past 30 years we have consumed one-third of the planet’s natural
resources to manufacture products that are almost all (99%) thrown
away within 6 months.
This ridiculous lie is based on the false value that our worth is based by
on how much we spend.
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Happiness
Everyone is different and unique, which means that there is no universal
formula for happiness.
Having said that, we are learning a lot about what makes most people
happy.
JOYFULNESS
This wonderful happy feeling is familiar to people who laugh or play a
lot, genuinely have fun, or practice Aerobic Laughter.
Joy is a raw and powerful feeling that lifts our spirits and our mood
instantly. Joyfulness can melt away stress, leave us cheerful and build
resilience.
We often experience flashes of joy, but there are ways to stretch that
feeling and elevate our state of happiness.
Joy is pure positive affect.
Find out what gives you joy and practice it often.
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POSITIVITY RATIO
The ratio of positive to negative events in our life reflects directly on
our happiness and ability to flourish.
When positivity ratio reaches 3 we become happier, and also much
better at relationships and performance.
Increasing our positivity ratio is not just about making more good things
happen in our life. Reducing the bad things increases our positivity ratio
even more.
Reducing stress and negativity is a great investment.
Our attitude and mood play a strong role here because we tend to get
back what we give. If we are miserable to others then they are more
likely to be miserable back to us.
Improving our attitude and optimism and taking steps to increase the
happiness of those around pays big positivity ratio dividends.
OPTIMISM
Try to see things in a positive way.
Our brain judges things by comparing them to other things.
When things happen to us (the fact), our brain invents or provides an
alternative to compare that event to. Let’s call it a counterfact.
Let’s say we bite into an apple and there’s a worm in it. What’s the
counterfact?
If it is: “Why me? That’s disgusting!” then we’ve turned that event into a
negative affect that will make us unhappier.
If we think: “Wow, I’m glad I got that apple and not my guest” then
we’ve managed to turn that event into a positive affect.
Remember that counterfact is a choice. By mindfully choosing worse-
case counterfacts, we can build optimism, positivity and happiness.
Make this a habit and you can change from a ‘glass half empty’ to a
‘glass half full’ person.
MINDFULNESS
Many people rush through life like someone running blindfolded through
a forest, just bouncing off the trees and bushes they happen to run into.
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SATISFACTION
We are as happy as we feel.
Joe who lives in a $75,000 house in a suburb of $50,000 houses probably
feels much happier than Jack who lives in a $75,000 house in a suburb of
$100,000 houses.
Much of our happiness comes from subjective comparison.
Even though they both live in $75,000 houses, Joe is more satisfied with
his house, because Jack compares his house to the bigger and better
houses around him.
Comparing ourselves or our situation with other ‘better’ situations will
make us unhappy.
Understand that people in the bigger houses are not necessarily happier.
Happiness isn’t about living in a bigger house — it’s about living in a
happy house.
Happiness lies in being satisfied with what we have.
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SOCIAL EXCHANGE
We are social by nature.
While some people may find happiness in solitude, for most of us
loneliness brings unhappiness.
A rich social network provides support and builds happiness.
How we interact with people — whether we contribute to their
happiness — drives our social network.
Think about the most popular people you know. If they’re not rocks stars
or famous, they’re probably also the happiest people you know.
The more happiness we spread, the more it comes back.
VOLUNTEERING
Giving service to others is a fast track to happiness.
There are countless opportunities to help others. Voluntary service
makes the world a better — and happier — place. We’ll also learn new
skills and meet new people.
If we contribute to the happiness of others, happiness shall be returned
to us in spades.
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Unhappiness
Imagine a new virus that shortened our lifespan by ten years.
It would be a global health emergency. Governments would scramble to
discover and roll out a cure.
Yet unhappiness is allowed to drive ill health and early death and
nobody appears to notice.
UNDERSTANDING UNHAPPINESS
Happiness and unhappiness coexist as separate forces. Both spread
through emotional contagion.
Happiness can improve our life and health, and even give us extra happy
years.
Unhappiness — often driven by stress, anxiety, depression, grief,
trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and burnout — affects us the
opposite way.
Let’s review these ‘unhappifiers’, then look deeper into the dangers of
stress and depression.
Stress
Stress plays a leading role in global unhappiness.
Chronic stress grinds away at our mental health causing emotional
damage and physical illness. Long-term stress even rewires our brain,
leaving us more vulnerable to everyday pressure and less able to cope.
Over time, chronic stress can cause anxiety, depression, eating
disorders, and substance abuse.
Long-term stress can cause serious health problems as it disrupts nearly
every system in our body. It can raise blood pressure, suppress our
immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute
to infertility and speed aging.
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WORKPLACE STRESS
Twentieth century management strategy can be paraphrased as ‘if you
want people to work harder, stress them’.
As a result, workplace stress is skyrocketing. Ever-increasing stress levels
are costing companies and governments billions of dollars every year in
lost turnover and reduced productivity, and costing individuals their
health and happiness.
New science clearly shows that stress doesn’t make people work harder
or better, rather, it reduces productivity, boosts absenteeism, and
increases health care costs.
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Imagine yourself armed with a stick facing an angry and roaring 500-
pound cat with big fangs and sharp claws — you have little chance of
running away. A response that enables you to run faster, hit harder and
jump higher than ever before, to fight or flee would really improve your
chances of survival.
Our body still responds to stress in exactly the same way.
The chemical messengers cause some of our body systems to become
‘turbocharged’ for maximum performance, while body systems and
organs not needed to survive the life or death struggle are slowed or
even switched off so all our energy is available for the intense action of
fighting or fleeing.
IMMUNE STRESS
Our immune system is also reset by the stress messengers.
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SWITCHING EMOTIONS
The stress response can shift us from happiness into a negative
emotional state in an instant.
Imagine you are driving — it’s a wonderful day, you're feeling happy,
enjoying the sunshine and singing along to your favorite song. Suddenly,
the driver ahead of you brakes sharply.
The amygdala senses danger and triggers the stress response. It helps us
to stop the car in time, but switches us instantly into a state of negative
emotions.
We may respond with anger and even aggression or violence.
Even at our happiest, the stress response can switch us into negative
emotions like anger, anxiety, bitterness, fear, frustration, jealousy,
panic, rage and righteous indignation.
Even small stresses can negatively impact on our mood.
The ever increasing levels of chronic stress we live with make negativity
and mood swings more prevalent, wiping the smile off our faces, and
driving us towards depression.
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Consider the non-violent nice guy who explodes with road rage.
Consider a nation of people who love their neighbors, but when faced
with the stress of a threatened attack by another country will urge their
leaders to declare war and even send their sons and daughters into
battle.
These people are driven to act in ways contrary to their values and
beliefs by stress.
Our self image is based on our beliefs.
We may believe that we are nice people, or gracious, or open to change,
but stress can cause us to behave in ways contrary to those beliefs.
Disconnected from values and beliefs, the stress response can cause us
to live in ways that cause deep long term unhappiness.
TOXIC STRESS
The stress response is hardwired and involuntary — once it starts we
can’t stop the release of the stress cocktail that prepares us to fight or
flee.
These substances are powerful. If they remain in our body for too long or
in high concentrations they can be harmful and even toxic.
Major stresses trigger their release in large quantities, but even small
quantities triggered by smaller stressors can rapidly accumulate to levels
where they can cause lasting harm.
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HOMEOSTATIC HEALING
The de-stress response triggers our natural (homeostatic) healing system
that scans our body then acts to return all our systems to a normal well-
functioning state.
Our heart rate slows, blood pressure and blood sugar levels normalize,
and the digestive, sexual reproductive and circadian clock return to full
operation.
The de-stress response is nature’s perfect antidote to the stress
response.
It clears toxic stress substances from our blood, resets our body systems,
deals with any pain caused during our fight or flight, and leaves us
relaxed and feeling happy.
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DE-STRESS OPTIONS
We need to find and practice new ways to reduce stress levels or face
ever increasing unhappiness, health problems and costs.
Exercise can mimic fight or flight activity and trigger our natural de-
stress response. Strenuous exercise that gets our heart pumping and
results in diaphragmatic breathing is the best way to naturally de-stress.
Instead of regular exercise we’re increasingly abandon active movement
for the convenience of sitting, driving or using public transport and
waving a remote control at our television.
Our amygdala may be telling us to exercise, but our cortex finds excuses
to put it off. We need to get to the gym, run or find other ways to
exercise strenuously to reduce the levels of stress cocktail in our blood.
CEOs of some of the world’s leading corporations maintain their health
and keep their brains sharp for peak decision making under stress by
exercising in their office or private gym.
Hearty laughter has the same effect, triggering diaphragmatic breathing
and the de-stress response and boosting joyfulness.
Massage, yoga, meditation, time spent in nature, relaxing and sleeping
also reduce stress levels to a lesser degree, but perhaps not enough to
counter our lifestyle of chronic stress.
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Unhappifiers
Anxiety, burnout, trauma and grief account for a great deal of
unhappiness
ANXIETY
Anxiety is a mental state that results from a stress or difficult challenge
for which we have insufficient coping skills.
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. Thinking about stressors can help
us to deal with tense situations, study harder for an exam, or keep
focused on an important issue.
But anxiety can also become a source of stress, causing a ‘vicious circle’
with increasing levels of stress and worry.
Physical symptoms of anxiety include ongoing worry and tension,
irritability, muscle tension, headaches, sweating, difficulty
concentrating, frequent bathroom visits, tiredness, sleep problems, and
being easily startled.
Reducing stress and working to build happiness can provide a solid
defense against this dangerous and disabling disorder.
BURNOUT
Too much stress for too long can lead to burnout — a state of emotional,
mental, and physical exhaustion that can leave us feeling disillusioned,
helpless, hopeless, cynical, resentful, and completely worn out. Burnout
reduces our productivity and saps our energy.
Workplace burnout is becoming a serious health and productivity
problem. In a UK study more than half the workforce reported symptoms
of burnout within the previous six months.
Burnout is most prevalent in relational and service professions that
involve emotional contact with customers or patients.
High risk occupations include health care, teaching, law, and call
center, sales, and customer service occupations.
The incidence of burnout is on the rise globally with cases of burnout
being identified across communities including students, housewives, and
people with illness, disease or medical conditions.
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Depression
Depression is one of the fastest growing and most dangerous human
diseases.
More than 120 million people worldwide are affected.
Depression drives more than 850,000 people to suicide a year, and is the
leading cause of disability worldwide measured by years lost to
disability.
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AN INCREASING PROBLEM
A hundred years ago, the chance of experiencing major depression
during one’s lifetime was only 2-3%. The incidence of depression has
steadily increased to ten to 25% today.
In one country 60% of locally born residents were found to experience
depression.
A hundred years ago depression typically started around the age of 35.
After World War I depression was starting by age 15. After World War II
depression was seen in children as young as 5 years old.
Today even toddlers are depressed.
Studies have discovered depression in preschoolers. A Danish study
identified mental health problems in 16-18% of children 1½ years old.
CO-MORBID DEPRESSION
Depression is seen in physically healthy people, but often together with
other medical problems.
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YOUTH DEPRESSION
One in five teens will suffer from depression before adulthood. At any
one time 10-15% show symptoms and 5% suffer from major depression.
Episodes of teen depression typically last 8 months and recur in more
than 70% of cases.
Depressed teens are at high risk for other problems: 30% develop
substance abuse problems, have fewer friends, get sick more often, are
less likely to be successful in their education and careers, and more
likely to struggle with relationships, have trouble at school and in jobs,
and engage in risky sexual behavior.
Depression in teens can significantly reduce their chances of a happy,
healthy and successful life.
Untreated depression is the major cause of teen suicide and the third
leading cause of teen deaths. Depressed teens are twelve times more
likely to attempt suicide.
Teens have to rely on their parents, caregivers and teachers to identify
symptoms of depression and refer them for treatment.
In the US it is estimated that less than a third of depressed teens get
help. In Africa this figure is far lower.
Orphans and vulnerable children are at higher risk of depression as they
have been exposed to trauma and grief, and in some cases stigma,
relocation, life in an institutionalized setting and other prime indicators
for depression.
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ANTIDEPRESSANTS
We know very little about how antidepressants work.
Antidepressant medications provided under the guidance of a medical
professional can be helpful—even life-saving in cases of severe
depression.
They provide some symptomatic relief but don’t cure the underlying
problem and/or provide a long-term solution.
ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFECTIVENESS
Antidepressants can cause significant side effects and dangers, and
recent studies have raised questions about their effectiveness.
A 2006 study showed that fewer than 50% of people became symptom-
free on antidepressants, even after two different medications. Many of
those who do respond to medication slip back into major depression
within a short while, despite sticking with drug treatment.
In some cases antidepressants can cause an increase in suicidal thoughts
or behavior in children, adolescents and young adults.
Studies show that their benefits have been exaggerated, with some
researchers concluding that antidepressants are only slightly more
effective than placebos for mild to moderate depression.
Patients already battling the side effects of medications for HIV, cancer
and other conditions may not tolerate additional antidepressants side
effects and discontinue their use.
The use of antidepressants during pregnancy is not recommended.
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BUILDING HAPPINESS
Happiness is an intelligence.
To increase happiness we need to increase our Happiness Intelligence.
Happiness Intelligence, like many other intelligences, can be learned,
developed and strengthened.
WHAT IS INTELLIGENCE
Intelligence is not IQ.
IQ is a measure of cognitive abilities. We recommend that another name
be found for this assessment, perhaps cognitive ability scale?
Intelligence is the ability to reason, form concepts, and solve problems
within the context of a particular field of human endeavor.
The components of an intelligence are field, skill, knowledge,
mindfulness, passion and application.
FIELD
The area of human endeavor under consideration.
For example, we can define musical intelligence, mathematical
intelligence, woodworking intelligence, Emotional Intelligence and
countless more.
Fields of intelligence may be narrow or broadly defined. Broadly defined
intelligences often incorporate many narrower fields.
SKILL
Skills within the field may be natural gifts or learned skills. Skills
generally require practice to be improved and maintained.
KNOWLEDGE
The breadth and depth of our acquired knowledge within the field.
Knowledge may be acquired through introspection, observation, insight
and through study.
Don’t confuse knowledge with intelligence. We may learn about music
but not be able to play an instrument.
MINDFULNESS
The ability to see life though the filter of this knowledge and skill is key
to developing an intelligence. For example, a person with woodworking
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INTELLIGENCES SHAPE US
We are the sum of our intelligences.
Intelligences shape the way that we perceive and interact with the
world and make decisions.
EDUCATION
Intelligences can be learned.
The purpose of education is to build intelligence.
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AUDITING INTELLIGENCE
In his wonderful book The Happiness Advantage positive psychologist
Shawn Achor sheds light on this subject.
Auditors can spend 8 to 14 hours a day scanning accounts and forms
looking for mistakes. As they develop their auditing intelligence, their
brains rewire and develop powerful neural pathways that help them to
perform their fault finding faster and ever more efficiently.
Their world view changes and they start seeing their world through the
filter of their auditing intelligence.
Shawn gives an example of a tax auditor who revealed an excel
spreadsheet listing all the mistakes his wife had made during the past six
weeks.
Auditing intelligence may not be conducive to happy marriage!
LAW INTELLIGENCE
Law is another profession with a powerful intelligence that can lead to
unhappiness.
Lawyers are trained to doubt, to look for flaws in arguments, and to
avoid trust. They are also trained to manage their time ruthlessly to
maximize billable hours.
As lawyer intelligence develops, these characteristics spread into all
areas of their life. The inability to trust others and fixation on money
can spoil their personal and family life.
It is not surprising that the legal profession has some of the highest rates
of stress, depression, divorce, burnout and suicide.
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Emotional Intelligence
(EQ)
Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize emotions in ourselves
and others and to manage them intelligently.
Emotional Intelligence, sometimes called social intelligence, was
popularized by Daniel Goleman in a popular series of books.
EQ is a universal and important intelligence that is closely allied to
happiness.
We respond emotionally to events and relationships in our life.
Our level of Emotional Intelligence influences our success in
relationships and to what degree they have a positive or negative affect
on us.
The higher our EQ the better we manage our relationships and cope with
emotions.
EQ AND SUCCESS
Emotional Intelligence is one of the strongest predictors of success in all
aspects of life.
EQ plays an important role in educational success. It moderates the
impact of stress, builds emotional resilience that drives educational and
career success, builds coping skills, reduces the negative impact of
trauma, helps to reduce stress and anxiety on the workplace, and can
reduce damaging behaviors such as smoking, drinking and risk taking.
Emotional Intelligence has been widely recognized as increasing
performance. Many employers seek out employees with higher EQ and
invest in programs to build employee EQ levels.
EQ AND HAPPINESS
Many studies including our own work confirm a strong and direct link
between Emotional Intelligence and happiness.
The most respected scale of Emotional Intelligence, developed by Dr.
Reuven Bar-On, includes measures that impact directly on happiness:
Intrapersonal intelligences include self-regard, emotional self-
awareness, assertiveness, independence, and self-actualization;
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Happiness Intelligence
(HQ)
Happiness Intelligence is the ability to recognize the potential for
happiness and unhappiness in events, actions and relationships, and to
manage these intelligently to build and maintain the happiness of
individuals and groups.
Increase Happiness Intelligence and happiness will follow.
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HAPPINESS SKILLS
Some people are naturally happier and gifted with natural happiness
skills than others.
Many happiness skills can be learned and improved with positive
psychology interventions.
With practice we can develop and hone our happiness skills to
significantly increase our Happiness Intelligence.
HAPPINESS KNOWLEDGE
There has been an
explosion in happiness
research and knowledge
since Martin Seligman
launched the positive
psychology movement.
The knowledge base is
developing very rapidly
with new studies and
interventions being
announced continuously.
Because we are all unique,
some of the happiness
knowledge needed to build Happiness Intelligence must be found
through self discovery.
HAPPINESS MINDFULNESS
One of the most important elements in building HQ is learning to view
events in our life, our relationships, plans and goals through the filter of
how they may impact on our happiness.
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HAPPINESS PASSION
While the pursuit of happiness has long been recognized as an important
human goal and purpose, a lack of knowledge about what makes us
happy has dimmed and in some cases misdirected our passion for
happiness.
In our own work we see passion for happiness increase very quickly when
people learn more about the science of happiness and how quickly and
powerfully unhappiness can reduce our health and longevity.
HAPPINESS APPLICATION
For muggles like us there is no magic wand or spell available to create
instant happiness.
Like any intelligence, we need to practice and apply our happiness
knowledge and skills, creating new happy habits and changing our
lifestyle in ways that pay happiness dividends.
Building Happiness Intelligence requires application and determination,
but the increased happiness, health, success and well being that result
make it a truly worthwhile journey.
Intelligent career choices will be based on our strengths and values and
the happiness potential of the career path. We’ll be considering factors
like the potential to exercise our strengths, flexibility, stress levels,
corporate culture, the people and manager we work with, and the
potential for meaning and fulfillment.
Building Happiness Intelligence is life changing.
Building Happiness
We’ve helped tens of thousands of people to develop and increase
Happiness Intelligence.
Here are some important aspects we want to share.
HAPPINESS IS PERSONAL
We are all unique and different and respond in different ways to
happiness interventions.
An intervention that hardly affects one person may transform the life
and contribute to meaningful happiness for another.
Some interventions can take time to start working. Give each
intervention sufficient time before deciding that it works for you.
Positive psychologists have assessed hundreds, perhaps thousands of
different interventions. We use interventions that have been proven to
significantly increase happiness or decrease unhappiness in most people.
Understand that you may need to try many interventions to discover the
techniques that work best for you, and can help you to live a
significantly happier life.
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Delivering Happiness
It’s great to know that we can develop Happiness Intelligence and work
to increase our happiness, but how?
Few people have access to the new happiness knowledge.
How can we learn these important new lessons and how to apply them in
our lives?
HAPPY PILLS
Pharmaceutical companies developed drugs to try to eliminate
unhappiness.
Prescribing a pill is much faster and cheaper than therapy.
Patients dream of a quick fix.
Huge increases in depression have boosted demand for antidepressants
to such high levels that even doctors that aren’t trained in psychology
are prescribing them.
While antidepressants may have some use in controlling symptoms of
depression, and may help some people to regain a semblance of
normality, they have little place in a serious quest for happiness.
HAPPINESS IN SCHOOLS
It’s imperative that the new science of happiness is introduced into
schools urgently so that the next generations develop Happiness
Intelligence at an early age.
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NEW SOLUTIONS
While psychologists play a key role in developing the new science of
happiness, they no longer need to be involved in delivering it.
How can we deliver these wonderful lessons, skills and knowledge from
academics and researchers to the rest of the human population?
We need to find new ways to deliver the new science of happiness and
build Happiness Intelligence.
Happiness University
The authors have co-founded a new Happiness University dedicated to
promoting and developing Happiness Intelligence in all corners of the
world.
The university will not initially offer degree courses, but will focus on
bringing the new science of happiness to as many people as possible in
new and innovative ways.
We are committed to making all our programs evidence-based so that
participants see scientifically measured results.
Happiness-U is working to find effective new solutions to deliver
happiness science efficiently at low cost.
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HAPPINESS COACHING
We believe that Happiness Coaching is an excellent way to deliver the
new science of happiness.
Coaching can provide happiness education, teach proven happiness
techniques and provide the guidance, encouragement and support
needed to practice and incorporate them into a happier new lifestyle.
Specialized coaching programs for specific groups must be continuously
updated with the results of ongoing research.
Happiness Coaching must incorporate ongoing happiness measurement to
monitor progress and ensure real results.
InHappiness recently completed a four-year program — Healing with
Happiness, to develop a low cost psychosocial support system for adults
and children affected by the HIV and AIDS and their caregivers.
The Healing with Happiness psychosocial support program uses an
innovative new three-tier happiness delivery system:
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JOYGYM Happiness
System
JOYGYM is a proven positive psychology based Happiness Coaching
system that provides knowledge, tools and support to build Happiness
Intelligence and lasting happiness.
JOYGYM is powerful.
To date, a large number of participants who were on medication for
depression, hypertension and diabetes when entering the program have
been taken off medication by their doctors within three months as their
conditions have improved or disappeared.
More than 30,000 South Africans are already enjoying greater happiness,
health and life success through JOYGYM programs.
EVIDENCE-BASED
JOYGYM includes happiness measures to track individual and group
progress and confirm real results.
Scientific measures clearly illustrate increased happiness, positivity,
energy, Emotional Intelligence and productivity, decreased stress,
depression, and better health.
Results from a six-month group program are presented later in this book.
FLEXIBLE
JOYGYM comprises twelve elements of happiness that can be combined
in different ways according to group or individual needs.
Happiness University creates custom programs according to the
requirements of different groups, working to match features and needs
in compact and economical programs.
A wide range of delivery options are available.
JOYGYM LICENSES
JOYGYM programs are available for worldwide license.
This model has been chosen to ensure:
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Elements of Happiness
The JOYGYM Happiness System includes twelve elements that build
Happiness Intelligence and develop happiness.
Elements can be combined in different ways to build specialized
programs according to group and individual needs.
ACTIVITY
Humans are designed to be active.
Activity and exercise are important for general good health and for
keeping a positive state of mind.
Regular exercise lowers blood pressure, improves strength and
endurance, trims physique, builds confidence, boosts energy and mental
alertness, and reduces our chances of cancer, diabetes and heart
disease.
AEROBIC LAUGHTER
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EDUCATION
A solid understanding of the science of happiness and unhappiness and
how they affect our live provides the knowledge and motivation needed
to make and maintain happy lifestyle changes.
HAPPINESS COACHING
Positive psychology happiness building techniques and interventions are
presented with guidance, support and encouragement to help each
individual to discover those that work best and to incorporate them as
new lifestyle habits.
NUTRITION
We are what we eat and how we eat.
Healthy eating can prevent chronic diseases, which now kill more people
worldwide than communicable diseases.
Nutritional mindfulness helps build a healthy foundation for a happy life.
PLAY
Engaging leisure is important in a healthy balanced life.
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REST
Sleep and rest have a powerful and direct impact on our health, mood,
happiness and well being.
Sleep rejuvenates, refreshes, and restores.
A lack of adequate rest and sleep is a fast track to unhappiness.
SERVICE
Service to others provides powerful benefits that reach across all aspects
of our life and happiness.
JOYGYM encourages us to find community service that best fits our
strengths and adds rich new dimensions to our life.
STRENGTHS
Character strengths are morally valued styles of thinking, feeling, and
acting that contribute to a fulfilling life.
Knowing our strengths and applying them in all aspects of our life
provides us with the opportunity to achieve flow and build self esteem,
confidence, energy and happiness.
VALUES
Values are the signposts that guide us through life and help to build
meaning and satisfaction.
JOYGYM helps us to discover and consider our core values and to bring
our life into alignment with them.
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Aerobic Laughter
Aerobic Laughter is a powerful natural cognitive behavioral therapy that
harnesses hardwired body systems triggered by natural laughter.
It provides a powerful and joyful aerobic and cardio workout, even for
people confined to bed or a wheelchair.
Aerobic Laughter quickly and dramatically increases happiness, reduces
stress, and triggers our natural healing system for better physical and
mental health.
DEVELOPMENT
Aerobic Laughter therapy is the result of a four year development
program led by laughterologist Bill Gee.
The goal was to create a standardized, professional, evidence-based
therapeutic laughter program that provides proven and predictable
results.
The act of laughing triggers a number of separate involuntary responses
with side effects that deliver powerful benefits.
The program uses techniques that avoid culturally dependant humor,
allowing hearty extended laughter to be prescribed.
Elements from laughter pioneers Osho, Oki, and Goodheart have been
combined with practices from laughter yoga and assessed among people
of a dozen cultures and language groups to ensure the program’s
universal reliability.
Elements from mindfulness training and positive psychology
strengthened the program, and a number of proprietary improvements
were developed to significantly improve adherence, sustainability and
benefits.
The effects of Aerobic Laughter practice have been measured in more
than a thousand subjects and results have been presented at a number
of international scientific conferences.
Aerobic Laughter is the first laughter therapy shown to deliver consistent
results in large samples across multiple cultures.
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RESEARCH
InHappiness encourages and supports formal research into the benefits
of Aerobic Laughter therapy.
Areas of particular interest include:
The alleviation of depression, cardiovascular illness, hypertension,
diabetes, sleep and digestive disorders, chronic fatigue and pain,
rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
The impact of Aerobic Laughter therapy on HIV progression and
mortality, increasing adherence to medication, reducing depression
and risky behavior, motivating HIV testing, and improving AIDS
education.
The use of Aerobic Laughter therapy in the armed forces to inoculate
against stress and depression, build resilience, and post-traumatic
stress disorder prevention and treatment.
The use of Aerobic Laughter therapy in education to improve
engagement and academic performance, reduce stress and depression,
and reduce teacher burnout and attrition.
The use of Aerobic Laughter therapy in business to reduce stress,
boost performance, productivity and sales, and increase motivation,
cooperation and teamwork.
Understanding Laughter
It is thought that laughter is a form of human communication that
predates spoken language .
ANCIENT LAUGHTER
The San people of southern Africa, one of the oldest groups of early
humans to have survived with their original culture and language. Their
culture is thought to be between 70,000 and 150,000 years old.
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Laughter is an important part of San life, often practiced for large parts
of the day. They laugh freely with or without jokes or humor, and say
that they have been laughing from the time before language.
They regard laughter as spiritual and healing.
More recently, laughter has played an important role in the development
and practice of Buddhism and Zen.
MODERN SERIOUSNESS
Today, most cultures regard seriousness as normal.
To be unhappy, stressed, or depressed is not remarked on, while
excessive laughter in adults, especially laughter without apparent
reason, is frowned upon and regarded as a form of madness.
This is unfortunate, as laughter has more physical and mental health
benefits than seriousness.
Laughing more could help us to undo many of the negative effects of
modern life.
NATURAL LAUGHTER
Children are blessed with the gift of ‘natural laughter’.
This spontaneous form of laughter is freely expressed during childhood.
Kids can laugh 300-500 times a day without the need for jokes or
comedy!
Do children laugh because they are happy, or are they happy because
they laugh?
Natural laughter is certainly an expression of joy, and remains an
important form of non-verbal emotional communication.
Natural laughter resides in our limbic brain, the brain children rely on
while the cortex develops.
The limbic brain is impulsive and responds very quickly to sensory input.
It has direct connections to our senses and acts as our security control
center, constantly scanning the senses for danger.
This brain is not a deep thinker, but it has a wonderful talent for natural
laughter!
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SOCIETAL RESTRICTION
During adolescence two momentous changes occur that serve to restrict
our practice of natural laughter.
First, our cortex develops and comes ‘on stream’. This super-computer
brain has massive powers of intellect and reasoning, but is much slower
in operation that the limbic brain.
Second, social conditions are imposed on our natural laughter. Parents,
teachers, our family and tribe start telling us “don’t laugh in class”,
“don’t laugh while we’re talking”, “don’t laugh at the dining table”,
“don’t laugh in church”, and to “stop behaving like a child!”
This behavioral conditioning has serious implications.
Once we are conditioned, every time we feel our natural laughter
bubbling up spontaneously, we override and delay the impulse to laugh
while checking with the cortex if it’s OK to do so.
The cortex is good at reasoning and judging and searches our memory
banks for examples of when it is OK or not to laugh, compares them with
our current situation, and decides if we can proceed to laugh or not.
The process of deciding whether it‘s OK to laugh in the current situation
takes time (is it OK to laugh in front of these people or to laugh in this
place, is it politically correct to laugh about this, what are the social
implications of laughing in this group, if we laugh should we chuckle or
howl?...).
Our natural laughter is suppressed and fades while we wait for the
decision. Even if the cortex gives us permission to laugh, the moment for
laughter may have passed by the time the decision is made.
Slowly but surely our natural laughter slowly stops expressing.
LAUGHTER FREQUENCY
Social conditioning serves to dramatically reduce the frequency of our
laughter.
Fifty years ago adults laughed perhaps 30-40 times a day. Today adults
laugh an average of 10-15 times a day.
In South Africa with its high stress levels, thousands of adults have told
us that they hardly laugh at all — perhaps 3 to 5 times on a really good
day!
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DISCIPLINE
The social restriction of laughter is imposed by people of authority in the
name of discipline.
The San people have survived for thousands of generations without
leaders that impose behavioral control. They remain creative,
innovative, well-organized and able to work together in groups and take
effective cooperative decisions. And they’re still laughing.
Cultures ruled through power and controls do not like laughter. When
people are laughing their spirits are free and they are unpredictable and
difficult to control.
Perhaps that’s why most cultures today regard seriousness as socially
acceptable and good, and laughter and spontaneity as bad.
INVENTED LAUGHTER
Even after our natural laughter is silenced through conditioning our body
knows that we need to laugh.
Laughter reduces levels of cortisol and stress chemicals that can damage
our brain and body in times of stress.
We find another way to trigger laughter — by inventing jokes and
comedy. These techniques attempt to meet our laughter conditions so
that it’s OK to laugh.
This adult or ‘intellectual’ laughter is physically the same as natural
laughter and triggers the same physiological reactions and benefits, but
its emotional underpinning and impact is often very different.
NEGATIVE LAUGHTER
While natural laughter is joyful and is associated with positive emotions,
intellectual laughter is often triggered by and associated with negative
emotions.
Adult jokes and comedy are often based on ridicule, cruelty, insults,
rudeness, hatred, demonization, racism and shame.
These negative emotions may cancel or reduce laughter’s positive
emotional and mental health benefits.
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Can the owner get his staff to laugh together every day?
Probably not.
If we rely on jokes and comedy to trigger laughter, then laughter can’t
be used as a medicine.
AEROBIC LAUGHTER
In Aerobic Laughter we use techniques that trick the cortex into
releasing control and allowing our natural laughter to burst forth.
Most people are surprised how quickly they can reconnect with their
natural laughter and laugh like a child again, even for extended periods.
Aerobic Laughter allows us to fill those laughter prescriptions.
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JOYFUL NOW
It’s interesting to understand how laughter creates
joyfulness and positive affect using our body’s
hardwired circuits.
When we see another person smile, our ‘mirror
neurons’ automatically trigger a response smile.
Try smiling at people next time you’re at the mall.
Most will respond-smile right back at you. If they don’t, it means that
they have suppressed their respond-smile.
If you watch carefully, you’ll spot a little twitch next to their eyes.
That’s their smile muscles preparing to respond-smile before their brain
overrides the smile.
When our face breaks into smile, our brain senses that we’re happy, and
triggers the release of happy chemicals into blood that makes us feel
happier.
Laugh exercises the smile muscles to trigger this response strongly,
releasing ‘joy juice’ and lifting our spirits and our mood.
It is impossible to feel unhappy, worried, sad or depressed while we are
laughing.
Research from Oxford University shows that group exercise boosts
happiness more - try to practice laughter in a group whenever possible.
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DE-STRESS
Laughter triggers the human de-stress response that’s hardwired into all
of us. This involuntary response is triggered by deep diaphragmatic
breathing.
Triggering de-stress causes our body to metabolize and reduce levels of
stress-related substances including cortisol in our bloodstream.
De-stress also triggers the release of natural pain killers that relax our
muscles to reduce tension, relieve headaches and body pain, and act as
mood elevators.
Over the years we have seen that Aerobic Laughter counters stress in a
unique combination of ways:
Provides a vigorous aerobic workout that reduces stress
Reduces blood levels of cortisol, adrenalin and others stress related
substances with fight or flight
Assists development of stress mindfulness that builds Happiness
Intelligence
Enables stress reduction through stressor reframing
Promotes the cathartic release of trauma and negative emotional
memories and experiences
Can reprogram the limbic response to specific known stressors
Teaches effective techniques to prepare for known stress
Develops the power to choose our mood and mental state
A 2008 study shows that even the anticipation of laughter significantly
reduces stress levels.
UN-DEPRESSION
Regular Aerobic Laughter practice quickly counters depression and
prevents recurrence in most people.
The exact mechanism whereby Aerobic Laughter practice helps people
to overcome depression is not clear. Is it stress reduction, joyfulness,
exercise, or triggering our de-stress response and homeostatic healing
system?
Research will tell.
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LAUGHTER AS EXERCISE
Laughter provides a powerful no-impact cardio and aerobic workout that
doesn’t require special clothes or equipment.
Thirty seconds of laughter can double our heart rate for 3-5 minutes,
exercises all the core muscles, and massage the major organs -
especially the lymphatic system.
Twenty minutes of laughter a day can provide much needed exercise for
heart health. It stimulates circulation and beneficial oxygenization of
the body, necessary for health and to prevent premature aging.
Short periods of intense laughter throughout the day can enable us to
maintain concentration and focus for longer periods, and improve
circulation. This can speed healing in conditions such as venous leg
ulcers.
Researcher William Fry calls laughter ‘stationary jogging’ and confirms,
“When you laugh your chest, thorax and abdominal muscles, as well as
your diaphragm, heart lungs and possibly your liver contract.”
Aerobic Laughter can provide workouts for people with conditions that
inhibit mobility such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, lupus, and for those
confined to bed or a wheelchair.
CARDIOVASCULAR HAPPINESS
Laugh for a happy heart.
In addition to reducing stress that can damage the heart, laughter
significantly reduces blood pressure, provides important cardio exercise,
lowers bad cholesterol and systolic blood pressure, and raises good
cholesterol (HDL).
Leading heart researcher Michael Miller says "the ability to laugh —
either naturally or as learned behavior — may have important
implications in societies such as the U.S. where heart disease remains
the number one killer.”
Miller found that laughter increased blood flow through arteries by 22%,
while stress decreased flow by 35%. A stressed person who starts
laughing can experience a 73% increase in arterial blood flow.
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Miller goes on to say that "You can release daily stress, which is harmful
to the endothelium, by laughing. A good, hearty, emotional laugh for 15
minutes a day is good for cardiac health."
Aerobic Laughter practice can significantly reduce blood pressure and
counter hypertension. Many hypertensive people have been removed
from medication by their doctors after a period of regular Aerobic
Laughter practice.
Widespread laughter practice could reduce the incidence of strokes, the
leading cause of adult disability in the USA and Europe and the second
leading cause of death worldwide.
United States researcher Lee Burke found that laughter reduced the
chance of a second heart attack in recovering heart patients by more
than 80%. Patients treated with laughter experienced fewer arrhythmias
and required less medication.
Heart patients often suffer from depression. Even mild depression
increased deaths by 44% in a study of 1,005 heart failure patients.
The benefits of a session of hearty laughter have been found to last for
24 hours, so learning to practice laughter daily can literally save our life.
PHYSICAL HAPPINESS
Aerobic Laughter has helped many people to overcome chronic health
problems. Science hasn’t yet discovered how this works, but many
people are grateful for the results.
Aerobic Laughter triggers the de-stress response that activates our
natural (homeostatic) healing system. This system scans our body and
works to reset it for optimal health.
Chronic stress often causes chronic fatigue. Regular laughter energizes
us and will in many cases overcome chronic fatigue.
Stress can cause headaches, migraine, and muscular tension, particularly
in the neck and shoulders. Many people find that laughter reduces or
eliminates these problems, even when they have been chronic for
extended periods. People suffering from chronic pain may also find
relief.
Stress increase blood sugar levels and laughter practice reduces them.
Many people with pre-diabetes and diabetes have experienced partial or
complete relief after a period of daily laughter practice.
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IMMUNE HAPPINESS
Stress reduces immune system function, eliminating our natural
protection against viral and bacterial infection. It also accelerates the
progression of many illnesses including arthritis, types of cancer, and
HIV and can significantly increase mortality.
Many studies confirm the profound impact of laughter on the immune
system. Laughter increases the amount of activated T-lymphocytes and
the number and activity of natural killer cells that help fight diseases;
increased levels of salivary immunoglobulin A (S-IgA), a vital immune
system protein which is the body’s first line of defense against
respiratory illness; increases levels of interferon-gamma that activates T
cells, B cells, immunoglobulin, and natural killer cells, helps to fight
viruses, regulate cell growth and also fights against tumorous cancer
cells; and even shrank skin welts in allergy patients .
An important new University of California Los Angeles study determined
that stress directly causes an immune system response that results in
inflammation that is known to promote cancer and other serious
conditions including depression, diabetes, asthma, cardiovascular
disease and obesity.
Chronic inflammation is also an important causal factor in accelerated
aging, allergy, Alzheimer's, anemia, aortic valve stenosis,
atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, digestive system diseases,
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MENTAL PERFORMANCE
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The stress response ‘switches off’ or disrupts the parts of our brain that
we use to reason and make intelligent decisions, communicate and
empathize, and for creative thought and innovation.
Aerobic Laughter triggers the de-stress response that quickly re-
activates these parts of the brain and provides plentiful supplies of fuel
and oxygen for optimal functioning.
Laughter can even be used to prepare for known stressful events such as
presentations, public speaking, exams, and job interviews and reviews.
By triggering the de-stress response shortly before such events, we can
achieve peak performance even in high stress situations.
SPIRITUAL HAPPINESS
Aerobic Laughter works to align our behavior with our values and beliefs.
During the stress response we act without thought or consideration,
often in ways that conflict with our values and beliefs.
In chronic stress this can continue for extended periods, causing us to
behave in ways that are contrary to our nature.
Disconnecting with our values and beliefs in this way can result in long
term dissatisfaction and unhappiness.
Aerobic Laughter helps to bring our behavior back into line with our
values and beliefs.
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NATURAL LAUGHTER
Natural laughter is a language that all children understand and speak
fluently.
I have spoken natural laughter with kids of all ages in many countries
and cultures — it is universal.
As we were all children, we’ve all been fluent in this joyful language.
It’s amazing that as we pass through adolescence and become adult, not
only do we disconnect with natural laughter, but we cease to speak,
understand and respond to it.
CHILD THERAPISTS
Most HIV caregivers that we train are women with kids at home.
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ADULT HUMOR
Adults laugh for a reason. They need justification to laugh.
They invent jokes and comedy to meet their laughter conditioning so
they feel justified in laughing. They call this humor, and talk about their
sense of humor.
Laughter without justification scares adults. It feels like madness,
something crazy people would do.
Ask an adult why they laughed at something and they can explain it.
They are scared to laugh without a cognitive reason.
Considering that adults spent their first decade laughing without reason,
this really seems ridiculous.
STOP LAUGHING
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NATURAL HUMOR
Kids don’t need justification to laugh. They need a reason not to laugh.
Do kids laugh at jokes?
Don’t be ridiculous, most can’t even tell a joke properly. They crack up
before the punch line.
If kids tell adults a joke it’s not because they understand the joke — that
part of their brain is not working yet. It’s because they want the adults
to laugh.
Kids are optimists. They keep hoping that they get adults to laugh and
understand their laughter language — to lighten up and get happy.
Imagine how much fun that would be!
Kids use natural humor, which is very different from adult humor. It’s
the humor of play and uses laughter, mimicry, surprise and incongruity
to raise a laugh.
Even very young children respond to natural humor. But adults seldom
do.
BASELINE ASSESSMENT
If we want to lose weight, we start by getting on a scale.
If we’re starting an Aerobic Laughter program, we recommend that we
start by assessing our happiness.
We’ll provide questionnaires that measure our happiness and
unhappiness to provide a baseline for later comparison.
When we repeat the measures later we’ll see our progress.
We can’t manage something if we don’t measure it.
EDUCATION
Understanding how stress and depression influence us is important and
helps us to build Happiness Intelligence and make lifestyle changes to
increase our happiness.
We introduce the new science of happiness, the science of stress and
depression, and the science of laughter.
PREPARING TO LAUGH
Training is normally done in groups because it’s easier to learn Aerobic
Laughter with others.
We start with a series of fun warm up exercises that prepare us to laugh.
The warm-ups:
Coax our cognitive brain to release its control over our natural
laughter
Teach us important skills help our laughter practice
Accelerate emotional contagion in the training group
Help us develop playfulness
Give us permission to behave in ways we might normally consider silly
Warm us up for the exercise that lies ahead
Aerobic Laughter warm up exercises have been are in use by tens of
thousands of people and have been proven. They make it easier to laugh
naturally.
STRUCTURED LAUGHTER
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LAUGHTER STRATEGIES
Different laughter exercises can be used to develop skills according to
your goals and needs, for example to:
Vary the aerobic intensity
Build interpersonal and relationship skills
Teach different ways of coping with stress
Help reprogram limbic response to specific stressors
Build emotional resilience
Develop self acceptance and self confidence
Counter sadness and depression
Increase happiness and joyfulness
Boost mental performance under stress
Provide physiotherapeutic benefits and extend movement range and
flexibility
Promote the cathartic release of negative emotional memories and/or
trauma
Natural laughter is a powerful brain language that can help to achieve
rapid physiological and mental changes.
FREE LAUGHTER
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Once we’ve re-developed our ability to laugh like a child, we help you to
stretch and develop this ability until you can laugh without structured
exercises.
We call this free laughter.
Free laughter empowers us to break into hearty laughter at will when we
need to de-stress or feel happier.
Participants learn techniques to enjoy laughter in public places like a
busy shopping center or on a bus without being thought crazy.
It’s hard for most adults to understand the joy and empowerment that
comes with this skill.
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JOYGYM Programs
JOYGYM is a flexible system and can be configured to provide different
programs according to individual needs, delivery requirements and
objectives.
JOYGYM EXPERIENCE
This one-day happiness and laughter adventure provide a great
introduction to the new science of happiness and includes two hours of
Aerobic Laughter therapy.
The program is a great way to start your happiness journey and is
recommended for individuals, couples and entire families.
The JOYGYM Experience road show visits major cities. Visit
WWW.JOYGYM.ORG to register or bring JOYGYM Experience to your city.
JOYGYM FOUNDATION
This two-day course provides a foundation for developing Happiness
Intelligence.
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FAMILY HAPPINESS
A special course has been designed to help families wishing to improve
relationships, and where a family member suffers from a chronic or life
threatening illness or condition.
Therapy and training groups may include family members, friends,
extended family, caregivers and co-workers.
CANCER COACHING
Cancer and other serious illness create stress, anxiety and trauma for
the affected person and for family members and others close to them.
Coaching can be provided individually or for the family group.
Similar programs are available to people suffering from heart problems,
hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, lupus, stroke and other conditions.
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SPORTS COACHING
Happiness Coaching and Aerobic Laughter therapy can give competitors
and teams the happiness advantage.
The programs can build trust, team spirit, energy, commitment,
motivation, working together to common purpose, knowledge sharing,
reduced conflicts and better performance.
UNEMPLOYMENT COACHING
Studies confirm that happy people get employed first.
JOYGYM can help to overcome unemployment related stress, anxiety and
depression and rebuild a winning outlook that can help bring happiness
back into our life and improve our chances of finding a new job or
career.
CAREER COACHING
The Harvard Business Review confirms that happy people earn more
money, get promoted faster and have greater influence in group
decisions.
We spend more waking hours at work than at home and with our family.
If we're not happy at work JOYGYM can help us to find direction and
make changes to build happiness.
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EMPLOYEE HAPPINESS
Twenty-first century industry leaders like Zappos and Google in America,
Semco in Brazil, and IT consulting company EC in Japan share a strong
focus on building employee happiness.
Happiness factors including job satisfaction, empowerment, flexibility,
engagement, responsibility, working to strengths, twenty-first century
management, company attitude and authenticity, meaning, and doing
good are more important that salary in attracting, motivating and
keeping the best employees.
British economist Andrew Oswald has shown that happy people are 25%
more productive.
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Happy employees are better at what they do, more committed, take less
sick days, and less likely to leave the company.
They are more creative, innovative and better communicators.
COLLABORATION
The twenty-first century work is less about being a ‘cog in a wheel’ and
more about extended collaboration.
Collaboration requires individuals to contribute in different and more
complex ways. Employees must make intelligent, well-informed
decisions with less guidance from the hierarchy.
Emotional Intelligence, trust, motivation, an understanding of the
context of their work, and good judgment are key to successful
collaboration.
Happy employees are more likely to display these qualities and give their
best.
CORPORATE VALUES
Collaborative environments increasingly require employees to make
decisions. Clear corporate values guide decisions and reduce stress.
Establishing clear corporate values and holding managers and staff
accountable for maintaining them in all activities provides common
focus, ensures that everyone is moving towards the same goals, and
boosts business success.
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GIVING BACK
Investing time and profit into giving back to our community is becoming
increasingly important to business success.
Corporate social investment is no longer a public relations exercise. It is
becoming fundamental to how an organization is perceived by employees
and customers.
Make sure that every employee and customer understands the corporate
social investment program. Ask them for their advice, opinions and
input.
Corporate social investment programs that align with your company,
employee and customer values enhance loyalty, happiness and success.
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HAPPY CUSTOMERS
It’s no secret that people prefer to buy from happy people.
When people call our business they can hear a real caring smile and
respond to it well.
Empowering salespeople and customer service staff to go that extra mile
for your customers and take decisions that will build customer happiness
is a far better way than forcing them to strictly follow rigid procedures.
If our employees are happy and empowered to make sure that the
customers are happy we’re on our way to success.
ENGAGED CUSTOMERS
The most successful companies move beyond customer happiness to
customer engagement.
Treat customers as part of the team, ask them how you’re doing, and
how you could do better. Find ways to communicate with and listen to
them.
Customer engagement builds loyalty and reduces service costs. Engaged
customers become evangelists for your business.
Customer engagement helped Zappos grow sales from zero to a billion
dollars in a tough economy and overtraded market sector.
Organizational Programs
Happiness based organizational development programs can help you to
change your corporate culture and develop the happiness advantage.
JOYGYM evidence-based programs provide measurable results.
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MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT
Managers that care about employee happiness can build sustainable
business success.
Twenty-first century managers act as coaches to nurture and build their
team's happiness, and lead the way in transforming company culture to
develop the happiness advantage.
PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCEMENT
JOYGYM programs effectively build Happiness Intelligence and reduce
causes of unhappiness.
Happiness is shown to significantly boost productivity, with studies in the
UK showing increases of 25%.
JOYGYM programs have achieved productivity increases of more than
50% with similar reductions in absenteeism and sick leave.
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SALES HAPPINESS
Customers enjoy buying from happy and caring people, and will keep
coming back for more of that happy experience.
Stressed sales teams can’t compete with a happy sales team.
Optimistic salespeople can outperform their pessimistic counterparts by
50% or more.
A happy sales team empowered and motivated to go that extra mile for
customers drives long term loyalty and repeat business.
Use JOYGYM program to boost sales happiness — before your competitor
does.
HAPPINESS CONSULTING
Developing happiness advantage to grab market share and build
sustainable twenty-first century success requires strategic planning and
careful measured implementation.
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Happiness through
Service
People around the world are hearing the call of service and discovering
the rich rewards of volunteering.
As a former community organizer, President Barak Obama advocates
public service and encourages American volunteering. World leaders are
following his example.
Research shows that the benefits of volunteering are not only felt by the
beneficiaries.
Volunteers reap huge benefits and rewards from serving.
There are many real advantages to giving time for nonprofit work.
Whether you are a student, working or a stay-at-home mom,
volunteering is an excellent way to gain work experience and broaden
your social network.
DOING GOOD
Helping others builds our sense of accomplishment and personal
fulfillment and improves our sense of well-being and self esteem.
This can help to counter anxiety and depression.
Working with people less fortunate helps develop gratitude for what we
have.
SOCIAL BENEFITS
Volunteers can meet interesting and diverse new people and extend
their social network.
We meet people who share our interests and have the opportunity to
improve our social and communication skills.
Many volunteers develop deep caring relationships with others through
their charity work.
Volunteering can be a good way to make new friends, business contacts
— or even new romantic interests!
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BUILDING EMPLOYABILITY
Volunteer work broadens our horizons and develops new skills that can
be beneficial in our career.
Volunteer work sets us apart and demonstrates character and a multi-
dimensional personality.
Volunteer positions show potential employers our drive and dedication,
demonstrate initiative, personal will, leadership skills, social
responsibility and the ability to work as part of a team.
HEALTH BENEFITS
A recent study found that volunteering promotes good health.
Volunteers live longer, have lower rates of depression and heart disease,
and show higher functional ability.
UNEMPLOYMENT
The worldwide economic downturn is driving high rates of
unemployment.
Not working can result in financial pressures and limit activities which
enhance independence and wellbeing.
Unemployment may be associated with stigma, social exclusion, poverty,
poor housing conditions, and risk taking behaviors including alcohol and
drug misuse.
People suddenly faced with unemployment face a real risk of falling into
despondency, self pity, depression and a negative attitude that can
harm their chances of finding new employment.
Volunteer work can provide activity and a sense of purpose to counter
stress and depression, maintain self esteem and a cheerful disposition.
Contacts made through volunteer work may lead to employment
opportunities.
STARTING YOUNG
Children are best introduced to volunteer work at an early age.
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SENIORS
People are living longer and healthier lives.
Volunteering can provide fulfilling and fun activities that allow seniors to
meet other people and stay active in their community. It allows them to
share the company of others and can lead to new friendships and caring
relationships.
It can provide opportunities for seniors to pass on their knowledge and
experience and to share their story with others.
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Happiness Volunteers
The JOYGYM Happiness Volunteers program helps people to build
Happiness Intelligence while spreading happiness in their community.
Happiness volunteers undergo happiness and laughter volunteer (HLV)
training and receive ongoing Happiness Coaching.
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BOOM
The HIV and AIDS pandemic caused an explosion in the need for care
services.
Existing palliative care services couldn’t cope. New ways to provide care
on a vast new scale had to be found.
Today hundreds of thousands of caregivers provide support to people
infected and affected by HIV.
Nobody is quite sure how many caregivers there are. There may be more
than half a million in sub-Saharan Africa.
Caregivers can include health care professionals, lay workers or family
and friends.
Very few are well trained, a few have some training, and many are
untrained.
Most are unpaid, some receive a small stipend, and very few receive a
small salary.
Very few caregivers work in hospitals or hospices. There was no way to
increase the number of beds to house all the new AIDS patients.
Today most HIV care giving is provided at the patient’s home using a
system called home based care. This adds caregiver stress as they must
travel large distances between patients, often on foot.
Caregivers frequently have little equipment or support and must cope
with very high patient numbers.
They have to deal with the death of their patients.
Somehow.
PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT
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Caring for people through the process of dying and death elicits a heavy
toll on the mental and physical health of caregivers.
We call the typical caregiver afflictions ‘Caregiver Syndrome’.
Before HIV and AIDS it was recognized caregiving was potentially a high
risk occupation. Caregivers were provided with psychosocial support to
moderate the negative occupational impact.
Psychosocial support was provided by psychologists and social workers,
and included ‘de-briefing’ sessions — an opportunity to unload the
burdens combined with therapy.
In many countries it was law. Caregivers had to receive psychosocial
support.
Psychosocial was a basic human right for caregivers.
The AIDS explosion changed all that.
Caregiver Syndrome
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WHAT GOES UP
Caregivers Syndrome is characterized by increases in:
Stress, anxiety, mood swings, depression and burnout
Coping and emotional resilience
Negative emotions including anger and fear
Grief and trauma
Compassion fatigue
Risk of illness through reduced immune function
Exhaustion and chronic fatigue
Absenteeism and presenteeism
Workplace conflict
Home and family problems
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Productivity
Satisfaction with life
Physical health
A GLOBAL PROBLEM
Caregiver Syndrome reduces the health, quality of life, and caregivers’
ability to function effectively and productively.
In Africa most caregivers provide care for people infected or affected by
HIV.
But Caregiver Syndrome also affects caregivers providing care for people
living with Alzheimer’s and dementia, cancer, arthritis, the physically
and mentally and disabled, seniors and more.
SUPPORT
Caregiver Syndrome is aggravated by a lack of support.
Support is the best way to prevent and counter Caregiver Syndrome.
Because most Caregiver Syndrome related problems are emotional and
psychological, psychosocial support is the most important support for
caregivers to receive.
Training, equipment and resources to help caregivers work more
effectively is another important aspect of support.
Caregivers may also require medical support to help cope with health
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Patient Syndrome
Being told that we have a disease that is trying to kill us is one of the
most traumatic and stressful events a human can face.
Persons living with chronic or potentially fatal illness also suffer from a
syndrome that creates powerful unhappiness that can accelerate their
disease, increase the chance of death, interfere with their treatment
and support, and multiply the negative impact for the people around
them.
We call it Patient Syndrome.
NEGATIVE EMOTIONS
Most of us are not properly equipped to cope with the threat of death or
disability and consequently suffer from high stress levels, mood swings,
anxiety, trauma and depression.
We learned earlier that stress causes negative emotions.
The extreme chronic stress experienced in Patient Syndrome can result
in a flood of negative emotions that ranging from ‘why me?’ to self pity,
from anger to rage and even despair.
These negative emotions are often directed at the people around us
including family, friends and caregivers.
If not treated, these problems can extend for long periods and result in
anxiety, depression, emotional burnout, and post-traumatic stress
disorder.
DEPRESSION
Incidence of depression is very high in people living with chronic or life
threatening illness.
When depression sets in it can become chronic.
Depression is a dangerous part of Patient Syndrome as it has been shown
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PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT
Psychosocial support can reduce negative affect and boost positive
affect and address problems such as stress and depression.
Appropriate psychosocial support can radically improve quality of life for
patients, their family, friends, and caregivers.
OVC Syndrome
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ORPHANS
Imagine a child watching their mother or father slowly lose energy, lose
weight, lose the capacity to care and provide, then watching them die.
Over 15 million children have lost one or both parents, and sometimes
siblings also, to HIV.
They may be left in child headed households or find themselves moved
to the care of grandparents, foster parents, other siblings.
These kids may also be removed from their community and placed in a
care institution or a foster home.
Orphans are defined as children having lost one or more parents.
If this loss is due to AIDS, they are orphans from AIDS.
VULNERABLE CHILDREN
Children require safety for happy healthy development.
Families provide children with protection.
When families are disrupted or split through circumstance, illness or
death, children may lose their protection and become vulnerable.
These are vulnerable children.
Sick children may be especially vulnerable.
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EARLY TRAUMA
Most OVC are traumatized.
Childhood is our most important developmental phase.
Trauma during childhood causes tremendous emotional upheaval and can
severely disrupt normal development.
Children who are orphaned due to AIDS often experience greater trauma
as they may have watched family members die long and painful deaths.
Traumatized children are at high risk for adverse psychological outcomes
that can last a lifetime.
Untreated early trauma can result in long term mental and physical
health problems that can undermine their ability to lead a happy,
healthy and productive life.
Even excessive or persistent early crying may lead to poor school
performance, increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
and long term inabilities to cope with stress and depression.
Childhood trauma can shorten life by between 7-15 years by impacting
immune response in the latter part of one’s life.
PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT
Children are naturally resilient and can heal quickly.
Robust psychosocial support provided quickly and consistently can
prevent and heal OVC Syndrome.
OVC Psychosocial support programs need to be funded and provided
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urgently.
We have to do it.
Our Commitment
As InHappiness learnt more about the ravages of the HIV pandemic in
Africa, we became increasingly committed to helping to find a solution.
We believe the JOYGYM Happiness System provides the tools to prevent
and heal Caregiver Syndrome, Patient Syndrome and OVC Syndrome.
In addition to alleviating untold hardship, tackling these problems would
provide an ideal test for JOYGYM.
If JOYGYM could help to heal these groups — which included some of the
unhappiest people in the world — then it was ready for widespread roll
out to help other unhappy people.
We decided to devote all our energy and resources to developing a
psychosocial program that could do the job — we named it ‘Healing with
Happiness’.
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Development
We started training HIV caregivers in 2007 and started program
development work early in 2008.
It was decided at an early stage to deliver the program through
caregivers themselves. We would train them to provide therapy to each
other and to their patients and community.
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SHOWTIME
In September 2009 the Hospice Palliative Care Association of South
Africa agreed to help us to test the program.
They commissioned us to provide an extended Healing with Happiness
program at a Regional Care Center.
The objective was to submit the program to detailed scientific
assessment and accurately assess the program’s performance and
efficacy over a period of six months.
The program was to be carried out in a semi-urban setting with
participants having a more advanced educational background that would
enable the use of validated scientific assessments and techniques.
We were overjoyed.
This was the opportunity we had been waiting for.
CARE CENTER
A Care Center was chosen in a moderate sized city in South Africa.
It is the sole care provider for a region of 3,500 sq km /1,300 sq miles
with a mining and agriculture based economy supporting a population of
almost 400,000 people.
The Care Center includes:
PALLIATIVE CARE: Six adult and two pediatric in-patient beds
offering end of life care and two-week pain and symptom
management programs, primarily for HIV and cancer patients
OVC CARE: An OVC Daycare Center for 52 HIV and AIDS infected and
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PRIMARY PARTICIPANTS
The 27 primary participants ranged in age from 28 years to 67 years
including:
15 staff including the CEO, nursing director, training manager,
fundraising manager, nurses, home based care supervisors, and
caregivers
7 OVC Daycare Center staff including the manager and admin
manager, head teacher, and assistant teachers
Support staff including the craft manager, driver and handyman,
general worker and cook
DOWNSTREAM PARTICIPANTS
The primary participants provide care for more than 1,500 downstream
recipients including
People in hospice care
Children in day care
People receiving home care
People attending support groups
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STANDARD ASSESSMENTS
Standard HWH program measures included the JOYGYM Self-Report
Questionnaire and individual and group interviews (qualitative
assessment) by HappyMetrics.
These were conducted during all site visits.
Standard Assessments Baselin 2 2 4 6 mo.
e week mo. mo.
JOYGYM Self-Report
Questionnaires
Individual & group
interviews
Assessment 30 Oct 3 19 10 12
Dates: 2009 Dec Jan Mar May
2009 2010 2010 2010
EXTENDED ASSESSMENTS
Extended assessments for this program included a range of psychometric
assessments and the Bar-On EQ-i Emotional Intelligence assessment
conducted by independent research contractors.
Psychometric assessment was conducted at each site visit, with EQ-i
assessment conducted at baseline and after two and six months.
Extended Assessments Baselin 2 2 4 6 mo.
e week mo. mo.
Psychometric
assessment
EQ-I assessment
Assessment 30 Oct 3 19 10 12
Dates: 2009 Dec Jan Mar May
2009 2010 2010 2010
SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRE
Self-report assessment results were obtained using JOYGYM Self-Report
Questionnaires developed by InHappiness for this program.
The questionnaire had previously provided consistent results with more
than 500 program caregivers across five provinces of South Africa.
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INFORMED CONSENT
Participants were clearly informed that their participation in the
monitoring and evaluation was voluntary. Consent was obtained in
accordance with World Health Organization guidelines.
DISCUSSION
Some of the two-month results do not follow the trend. This may be
attributed to daily therapy not being practiced during the Christmas
holidays, and also to changes in levels of stress, depression and
relationship problems after spending holidays with their family.
Some of the six-month results appear to reflect the decrease in daily
peer-to-peer therapy practice that occurred during the previous two
months. This is especially evident in increased measures of perceived
stress and depression, in self-reported family home problems and days
worried per month, and in decreased measures of Impulse Control EQ
and Adaptability EQ.
ANALYSIS
The JOYGYM program has two delivery streams: Aerobic Laughter
therapy and Happiness Coaching. The Healing with Happiness program
incorporates both streams.
In the sections that follow we provide a separate analysis (where
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Happiness
BASELINE
Levels of happiness and joy were low as participants were suffering from
chronic stress, depression and many symptoms of burnout.
Emotional negativity and feelings of doom and gloom were widespread.
Care Center staff and patients looked stressed and unhappy.
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Big increases in happiness scores were seen after two weeks and again
after four months (after falling off slightly in the post-holiday period).
Hope scores showed a significant increase after two weeks, with
continued increases until the last result (perhaps due to reduced daily
practice).
Feelings of joy increased after two weeks, then again after six months.
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All measures show a dramatic increase after two months with a further
significant increase after six months.
The General Mood EQ and Optimism EQ scores after six months were
higher than the national average for people of similar age and
background.
This is a considerable achievement given the nature of their work.
RESULTS: INTERVIEWS
Participants reported a major increase in personal happiness after two
weeks, describing a newfound sense of ‘lightness’.
They noted that even if they arrived at work moody or depressed, after
the morning Aerobic Laughter therapy practice any negativity
disappeared and they started the workday happy and energized.
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RESULTS: DISCUSSION
Participants experienced fast and dramatic increase in happiness and
decreases in unhappiness, with new levels of optimism and mood even
higher than the national average.
After two months the increased happiness could be felt when we arrived
at the Care Center. These were very different people to those we had
met ten weeks before. They were happy, even playful and very quick to
smile and laugh.
This wonderful level of happiness was maintained for the duration of the
program.
A recent visit 14 months after training confirmed that Care Center
remains a ‘happy center’ with a warm and welcoming attitude.
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Adaptability
Positivity
Well-being
Happiness Intelligence
Physical health
BASELINE
Self-report results showed high levels of stress, mood swings,
depression, and of physical stress indicators including stress-related
body pain, headaches and migraines, digestive problems such as
constipation and diarrhea, and sleep problems.
Psychometric results showed high levels of perceived stress. Depression
scores indicated widespread clinical depression.
Stress Management EQ scores showed low stress management and
impulse control, and low stress tolerance.
In interviews almost all participants reported:
Very high stress levels
Feelings of low self esteem
Feelings of hopelessness
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reductions after two weeks in all indicators except sleep problems which
reduced sharply after two months.
close to clinical depression before the program. After 2 weeks the score
was down to 16.64 (slightly above the ‘danger threshold’). After two
months scores no longer indicated clinical depression.
Notice how both stress and depression levels increase after six months
due to a drop off in daily HWH therapy practice.
RESULTS: INTERVIEWS
The majority of participants reported:
Dramatic reductions in stress levels after two weeks, with a new
feeling of ‘lightness’ from relief of chronic stress. Further
reductions were confirmed after two, four and six months.
Feelings of low self esteem and hopelessness reduced after two
weeks, and were seldom evident after two months.
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Mood swings, anger and levels of anxiety reduced after two weeks,
and were seldom evident after the two months.
Feelings of depression reduced after two weeks, with further
decreases after two months. After four months chronic depression
was no longer evident, and participants had been taken off
antidepressant medication by their doctors.
The severity of high blood pressure and diabetes under treatment
was reduced after two months, and treatment was stopped by
their doctors within four months.
RESULTS: DISCUSSION
Healing with Happiness therapy counters stress in a number of ways:
Fast reduction of physiological and mental stress levels through
daily Aerobic Laughter therapy practice
Teaches and builds effective new coping skills
Helps participants to reframe regular stressors in ways that they
cease to be stressful, thereby reducing perceived stress
Develops stress-mindfulness that enables participants to override
the body’s stress response in real time
Dangerous levels of stress and depression were dramatically reduced.
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This effect is known to last for 8 hours or longer after laughter practice.
By scheduling therapy sessions at start of shift this benefit is maximized.
Aerobic Laughter acts as a powerful positive affect to reduce negative
mood and similarly reduces mood swings.
There is increasing evidence that depression is caused and exacerbated
by stress. Reduced levels of cortisol and stress-related substances in the
bloodstream act powerfully to reduce depression.
Caregivers are exposed to high levels of trauma and grief that can result
in pent-up negative emotions which may contribute to depression.
Aerobic Laughter promotes the cathartic release of pent-up negative
emotions, thereby alleviating this problem.
Stress management and tolerance are increased as a result of Aerobic
Laughter therapy triggering the de-stress response that works to
metabolize cortisol and stress-related substances in the bloodstream.
This acts as a buffer for stress triggered in the following hours as cortisol
is reduced by being rapidly metabolized.
Coping
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BASELINE
Stress Tolerance EQ results indicated very low coping ability.
In interviews participants reported
A lack of ability to cope with personal issues
Difficulty coping with death and dying of those in their care
Feeling overburdened with work and life pressures
The interviewer felt that caregivers’ coping mechanisms were
overstretched.
RESULTS: INTERVIEWS
After two weeks participants reported significant improvements in their
ability to cope with issues in their work and personal lives.
After two months they no longer felt that coping with personal issues
was a problem or major source of stress for them.
Participants reported that they were now coping more effectively with
death and the loss of those in their care. Further improvements were
reported after four and six months.
Participants found it easier to cope with their workload and work
responsibilities.
The resident part-time psychologist attached to the Care Center
confirmed the remarkable and sudden improvement in participant
coping skills.
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RESULTS: DISCUSSION
HWH therapy specifically empowers participants with improved coping
skills. These continued to improve for approximately four months and
were maintained during the program.
The increase in happiness levels appears to assist participants in
reframing their responses to stressors. The incidences of trauma
associated with loss did not drop during the program, but participants’
perception of these stressful events changed.
The impact of HWH therapy on coping skills appears to include:
A dramatic increase in the ability to cope with issues of a personal
nature
Improved ability to cope with death and dying of those under their
care
A new ease in coping with work and life pressures
The caregivers are now coping well with stress and adversity.
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Resilience
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity.
Lack of resilience can result in high levels of stress and depression that
may reduce the ability to carry out duties effectively.
In addition to the death of patients for whom they are caring, South
Africans are exposed to a very high number of deaths among family and
friends due to the very high incidence of HIV and AIDS.
BASELINE
Initial interviews showed that caregivers experienced difficulty bouncing
back from adversity, particularly from the death of those they cared for,
and from the death of family or friends.
RESULTS: INTERVIEWS
After two months many participants expressed surprise at their
newfound ability to bounce back from adversity and from the death of
persons in care to whom they had become emotionally attached.
After four months their ability to bounce back had further increased.
Participants reported a new understanding that death was an
unavoidable and inevitable part of their work, and of how they had
previously allowed death to impact negatively on their emotions and
health.
This motivated them to become fiercely protective of their own
happiness and health, and to reprogram their response to death to be
more accepting and less damaging to their happiness.
While they still experienced sadness and grief, many were able to
reduce the period of intense negative emotions from weeks to days or
hours.
Two participants experienced multiple deaths of close friends and family
and were able to bounce back within a matter of days. Both reported
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that before the HWH program they would have been ‘out of action’ for
weeks.
RESULTS: DISCUSSION
Significant increases in the ability to bounce back from adversity were
seen. The dramatic and widespread increase in emotional resilience is
one of the most significant results of the program.
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Burnout
Burnout is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused
by long-term exposure to demanding work situations. Burnout is the
cumulative result of stress.
Caregivers experience high levels of stress, perceived stress, high
workload, and a support base that is often regarded as inadequate.
In addition to causing poor work performance, absenteeism and
presenteeism, burnout may contribute to depression, staff turnover and
serious health problems.
Studies have shown that burnt-out women and depressed men are at a
greater risk of future inflammation-related diseases, including diabetes,
heart disease and strokes compared with their non-burnt out and non-
depressed counterparts.
Caregivers participating in previous Healing with Happiness programs
consistently reported increased energy and vitality in their work, study
and life.
BASELINE
Evidence of burnout was observed in most participants during baseline
interviews.
The following symptoms provided cause for concern: high stress levels,
negativity and depression, low emotional resilience and Emotional
Intelligence and a high incidence of hypertension and diabetes.
It was evident that these symptoms had not developed recently, but had
accumulated over an extended period.
RESULTS: INTERVIEWS
Participants reported significant increases in energy and motivation
after two weeks, whilst coping skills improved.
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RESULTS: DISCUSSION
Rapid reduction of widespread long term burnout was seen among
caregivers. Burnout was eradicated in most participants within two
months and in all participants within four months.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence, also known as emotional quotient (EQ) is defined
as a set of competencies that demonstrate a person’s ability to
recognize emotions in themselves and others and to manage them
intelligently.
People with higher EQ tend to demonstrate good self-motivation, goal
management and balance between work, home, and recreational life.
They tend to avoid procrastination, self-doubt, and low achievement.
A strong Emotional Intelligence can help to build positive relationships
with colleagues and improve performance - the ideal formula for
workplace success.
Increases in Emotional Intelligence can help to significantly reduce stress
from home and social relationships.
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BASELINE
A low level of Emotional Intelligence was observed in the majority of
participants. Pre-intervention EQ scores were well below the national
average with the following subscales indicating areas for concern:
Problem Solving EQ
Adaptability EQ
Reality Testing EQ
Stress Management and Stress Tolerance EQ
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RESULTS: DISCUSSION
Significant increases in caregivers’ Emotional Intelligence were seen
after two months, with further increases after six months.
Work Relationships
Working well with others is an important and integral part of job
success. Caregivers work as a cooperative group or team to accomplish
daily tasks.
Effective teams show greater productivity, sharing of workload,
increased work pace, greater opportunities to learn and faster learning,
shared responsibility, better quality of work, less dishonesty, fewer
mistakes, mutual creativity and problem solving, greater job satisfaction
and greater mutual support.
Good teamwork and cooperation is built on trusting and considerate
relationships in a spirit of mutual respect.
BASELINE
Participants’ ability to cooperate and communicate was reduced and
needed reinforcement.
Many participants reported frequent instances of conflict and anger,
particularly with other staff. This appeared to be a way of venting their
stress and externalizing blame.
One manager reported that they spent most of their time and energy
resolving interpersonal conflict between staff. Most of these conflicts
were regarded as frivolous, often along the lines of ‘I don’t want to work
with ‘X’ anymore. She never returns my greetings. She doesn’t like me
and I don’t like her. If she can’t be civil then I can’t and won’t work
with her anymore!’ Other managers reported similar problems to a lesser
degree.
One participant was involved in consistent and multiple daily conflicts
with others.
Conflict behavior spread negative emotions throughout the workplace
and contributed greatly to management load.
Some instances of long term relationship problems were found, with
significant animosity between pairs of people.
themselves, and feel positive about what they are doing in their lives.
High scoring individuals are able to express their feelings, are
independent, strong, and confident in conveying their ideas and beliefs.
Self-regard EQ indicates an ability to look at and understand oneself,
respect and accept oneself, and accept one’s perceived positive and
negative aspects as well as one’s limitations and possibilities.
Emotional self-awareness EQ is the ability to recognize and understand
one’s feelings and emotions, differentiate between them, and to know
what caused them and why.
Assertiveness EQ is the ability to express feelings, beliefs and thoughts,
and to defend one’s rights in a non-destructive way.
Independence EQ reflects the ability to be self-reliant and self-directed
in one’s thinking and actions and to be free of emotional dependency.
Self-actualization EQ describes the ability to realize one’s potential
capacities and to strive to do that which one wants to do and enjoys
doing.
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RESULTS: INTERVIEWS
Significant improvements in cooperation and communication were
reported after two weeks with improvement continuing throughout the
period. A significant number of participants reported an increase in the
quality of their work relationships and increased incidences of
colleagues voluntarily helping each other.
Levels of conflict and anger were considerably reduced after two weeks.
Participants became more mindful of their stress and its causes, and
implemented effective ways to deal with it.
The staff member who previously initiated the largest number of
conflicts lost her antagonism and became so cooperative that she was
promoted to a position with greater responsibility and higher pay.
Long term ‘personality clash’-type conflicts between participants were
completely resolved, with one exception where one party did not
participate in HWH training.
While conflicts continued to occur, they were less serious and occurred
less often. In almost all cases conflicts were now resolved within the
team without recourse to supervisors or management.
Newfound mutual respect and trust was evident between team
members. Many remarked on the happy new spirit of cooperation.
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RESULTS: DISCUSSION
HWH therapy removes barriers to communication between participants
including supervisors and managers and allows honest open
communication in a positive atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.
It promotes team spirit, innovation and creativity and taking
responsibility for reaching common goals and objectives.
New holistic relationships developed between team members. Others
were now regarded compassionately and appreciated as ‘whole people’
with their own personality and problems, rather than simply as sources
of conflict.
The high degree of workplace conflict was effectively eliminated.
Home/Family
Relationships
Home and family problems have a significant impact on workplace
productivity, and can be a leading driver of stress, presenteeism, and
absenteeism.
BASELINE
The majority of participants indicated that challenges in their family and
home lives were their main source of stress. These problems negatively
affected their work performance.
Challenges reported included relationship problems with children,
spouse or partner, delinquent children, and social relationship problems.
Many complained of unsatisfactory relations with their children. When
their children approached them for company or to play they would shout
at them to be quiet or send them to play elsewhere because by the time
they arrived home they were too emotionally and physically exhausted
to ‘put up with’ the children’s demands, noise and playfulness.
Many reported similar problems with their spouse/partner and admitted
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that this impacted negatively on their home and sex life and was a major
source of worry for them.
RESULTS: INTERVIEWS
After two weeks dramatic decreases were reported in family and home
related stress. After two months, participants no longer reported family
and home challenges as a major source of stress.
While a number of caregivers continued to live in taxing home
circumstances, they reported a new ability to reframe their perceptions
of these situations, eliminating them as major stressors.
Participants reported that they started practicing Aerobic Laughter with
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their children immediately — in most cases when they arrived home from
the HWH therapy training day. Children in all cases responded
enthusiastically — ‘they love it’, and it became a regular feature of their
day, with many practicing with their kids in the morning and evening.
They reported that this brought them much closer to their children and
completely changed their previous behavior.
Interestingly, children quickly adopted the Aerobic Laughter therapy
exercises and initiated them when they saw the parent getting moody or
irritable, thus promoting Aerobic Laughter practice as a way of
preventing or short-circuiting stress.
Many were able to initiate Aerobic Laughter with their spouse /partner
and also with other family members and friends, and reported that their
home was now a much happier place with less conflict and more loving
fun.
Participants confirmed both a reduction in sexual problems and an
increase in sexual frequency.
RESULTS: DISCUSSION
"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so" — William
Shakespeare.
Before program implementation caregivers were under severe chronic
stress at work. The resulting negative emotions impacted negatively on
family life. The reduction of stress at work due to HWH therapy practice
resulted in less negativity in the family.
New skills in reframing stress resulted in a change in perception of
home/family problems as no longer being sources of stress.
This in turn reduced stressful behavior at home. The resulting
improvement in behavior reduced tension and improved home/family
relationships.
Home and family related problems that were regarded as the number
one source of worry and stress are no longer a notable source of stress
for these caregivers.
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CASE STUDY
One caregiver was extremely stressed by the behavior of her grown son
living with her. He had been drifting into drug abuse, associating with
delinquents, generally displaying wayward behavior. , was seldom home
for meals and was stealing money and household items to sell in order to
support his drug habit and lifestyle. She worried this would soon lead to
his being thrown in jail or death.
His behavior was the major source of stress in her life. They engaged in
frequent ‘screaming matches’. She constantly nagged him about his
behavior, was often unable to sleep at night, and sometimes unable to
focus on her work.
This had a major impact on her ability to perform her tasks and led to
exhaustion and symptoms of burnout.
She reported that the Healing with Happiness program empowered her
to recognize the negative impact of this stress and to release it. She
informed her son that his behavior was up to him, and that she was no
longer concerned with what he did. She ceased worrying, went home,
laughed and played with her grandson (his son) and enjoyed her sleep.
This ‘reframing’ of a major stressor had a huge positive impact on her
life and work. She gained energy, her stress levels dropped and she
became more engaged and motivated in her work.
Her change of attitude had a remarkable effect on her son. When she
stopped arguing and shouting, her son started spending more time at
home with his son, stopped stealing, reduced his drug intake and
stopped seeing his criminal friends. The change continued and after a
period she reported that he was clean of drugs and leading a normal
happy family life.
She attributes this change in his behavior directly to the change in her
behavior.
work relationships also apply in improving relationships with a
partner/spouse.
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the underlying reasons for their home/family problems and also their
damaging negative emotional impact on all family members.
This new consciousness allowed them to adjust their behavior to reduce
conflict, or where the situation could not be changed, to reframe the
cause of stress in a way that it ceased to be stressful.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness has been described as an intentional focused awareness — a
way of paying non-judgmental attention on purpose in the present
moment.
The importance of mindfulness in the workplace cannot be
overemphasized.
Ellen Jane Langer, professor of psychology at Harvard University states
that mindfulness increases charisma and productivity, decreases burnout
and accidents, and increases creativity, memory, attention, positive
affect, health, and even longevity .
Specific benefits of mindfulness in the workplace include:
Overall improvements in workplace functioning
Greater accuracy and fewer mistakes — an important attribute for
medical personnel who dispense medication
Superior ability to focus and shut out distractions
Reduced anxiety, tension and frustration
Increased tolerance to others with lower skills, maturity or coping
ability
Accepting our mistakes and weaknesses without reduced self-worth
or self esteem
Increased stability during periods of change
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Significant increases in the scores for mindfulness were seen after two
weeks again after four months. A reduction was seen after the Christmas
holiday period and a small reduction after HWH therapy practice became
intermittent during the last period.
RESULTS: INTERVIEWS
Findings were consistent with the assessment results in showing
increased general mindfulness, particularly regarding improvements in
workplace functioning, an improved ability to focus, decreased anxiety,
tension and frustration, increased tolerance and acceptance of mistakes
and weaknesses without lowered self-worth or self esteem.
Importantly, stress and happiness mindfulness developed quickly and
continued developing. This enabled caregivers to understand and control
their stress response.
RESULTS: DISCUSSION
HWH therapy contributed to significant increases in general and stress
mindfulness.
With increased mindfulness, tension and anxieties were reduced and
there was greater tolerance and acceptance of their own mistakes and
the mistakes of others.
Caregivers practicing Aerobic Laughter therapy experienced a very fast
and lasting increase in mindfulness.
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Adaptability
The ability to adapt to new and changing situations is important for
workplace success.
BASELINE
High stress had undermined this group’s Adaptability EQ, especially their
problem solving ability.
Scores for Adaptability EQ, Reality Testing EQ, and Problem Solving EQ
were low and regarded as a cause for concern.
The very low Problem Solving score was especially worrying and
healthcare professionals are often called upon to solve problems in
stressful or emergency situations.
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RESULTS: DISCUSSION
The increase in participants Adaptability EQ is consistent with — and a
factor in — many other significant changes including the reduction in
inter-staff conflict, their improved coping abilities and their capacity to
overcome adversity.
The dramatic increase in Problem Solving EQ is important to success in
the workplace and in other aspects of life.
adaptable.
Increased levels of cortisol are known to inhibit cognitive decision
making ability. Reducing cortisol levels through Aerobic Laughter
restores cognitive ability.
By reducing stress, depression and burnout, Aerobic Laughter works to
significantly improve decision making ability.
Positivity
Positivity is the quality of being confident, optimistic, and cooperative.
It is a key to success.
This personal attribute can be enhanced and strengthened in the same
way that we can learn optimism and happiness.
Positivity is a reflection of our emotional state. It is influenced by
negative emotions or events, and positive emotions or events.
Negative emotions are major contributors to stress, depression and
unhappiness. Their effects last longer and carry greater weight than
positive emotions. Positive psychology research shows that three positive
emotions are required to balance or offset one negative emotion.
BASELINE
Participants were found to be exposed to a constant and severe flow of
negative emotions in their work.
A low degree of positivity was found — certainly not enough to counter
the weight of negative emotions they experienced.
performance.
At positivity ratios of 3:1 or higher people begin to flourish and find
greater meaning in life.
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Well-Being
A sense of meaning and purpose in life is regarded as an indicator of a
healthy and positive mental state, and acts as a predictor of well-being.
Life satisfaction is seen as an accurate indicator of subjective well-being
and happiness.
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RESULTS: INTERVIEWS
Feedback confirmed that HWH therapy practice had helped participants
find increased meaning and purpose, and that they experienced
improved levels of happiness and well-being.
RESULTS: DISCUSSION
The majority of caregivers reported that HWH therapy practice had
assisted them in finding meaning and purpose.
HWH therapy helped this group to achieve significant improvements to
these measures in six months.
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Physical Health
To what extent does eliminating Caregivers Syndrome reflect in the
physical health of the caregiver group?
BASELINE
The majority of participants reported that they suffered from chronic
fatigue, body pains, digestive problems, headaches, migraines and sleep
problems.
Many reported being under treatment for stress-driven medical
conditions including depression, high blood pressure, diabetes and
asthma.
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SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRE
RESULTS: INTERVIEWS
After 2 weeks participants reported that they were generally feeling
much better physically with significantly increased energy levels.
After two months significant improvements in overall health were
reported.
Participants who were (or had been) under treatment for depression,
hypertension, diabetes and asthma reported that HWH therapy had
helped them to control these conditions.
RESULTS: DISCUSSION
HWH therapy practice resulted in a speedy and significant increase in
energy levels and reduction in minor but debilitating stress-related
health issues.
Numerous caregivers experienced significant reductions, and in some
cases control over, conditions under treatment including depression,
high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma.
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Life Change
All participants reported that the Healing with Happiness program
changed their life in a meaningful and positive way.
The changes most reported were:
Understanding of how dangerous stress and depression are and how
importance happiness is to health and the health of family
members and patients
Stress can be a choice and is not driven by people or events
The power to change moods and happiness levels — this is
wonderful
Boosting happiness yields energy
Added self-confidence changes life completely
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Absenteeism and
Presenteeism
The problems discussed in the previously are major drivers of
absenteeism and presenteeism.
Presenteeism is the lack of productivity that occurs when people are at
work, but not fully engaged and productive because of health and life
distractions. By some estimates, presenteeism is estimated to be up to
7.5 times more costly to employers than absenteeism in loss of
productivity.
Harvard Business Review reports that presenteeism can cut individual
productivity by one-third or more.
BASELINE
Caregivers reported high levels of burnout and other major drivers of
absenteeism and presenteeism including:
Trauma and grief from the death of patients in care
Distracting interpersonal workplace conflict
Stress-related illness including depression, hypertension and
diabetes
Before the program participants reported:
Feeling worried 14 workdays days a month
Feeling sick 7 workdays a month
Feeling stressed 6 workdays a month
Feeling depressed 5 workdays per month
Levels of absenteeism over the previous seven months averaged at 14.1
days of sick leave per month among 37 staff members.
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The results show dramatic reductions in all indicators sick, stressed and
depressed reveal dramatic reductions after just two weeks.
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Levels of absenteeism dropped from 14.1 days per month to 6.8 days per
month among 37 staff members when measured across a six month
period after HWH program introduction.
This represents a reduction of 52.3 percent in sick leave.
RESULTS: INTERVIEWS
Participants confirmed that they were feeling much less worried,
stressed and depressed.
After two weeks a dramatic reduction in home and family related stress
was reported, with a further large reduction at two months. This
resulted in a drop in worry that would impact positively on absenteeism
and productivity.
Many participants reported that their depression, hypertension and
diabetes had been partially or completely controlled by HWH therapy
practice, and a significant improvement in one participant’s asthma was
reported.
Productivity
The twentieth century approach to greater productivity was increase
worker stress to make them work harder.
New science shows that continued high stress reduces our ability to
make intelligent decisions and reduced productivity.
Reducing stress and increasing happiness boosts productivity.
A recent study by leading UK economist Andrew Oswald shows happy
workers performing 25% more work than their stressed counterparts.
BASELINE
According to management the productivity at baseline was ‘normal’ and
seldom fluctuated.
RESULTS: PRODUCTIVITY
The number of patient visits per month by nurses was monitored.
During the three months prior to the HWH program, the four nursing
staff visited 903 patients at home, an average of 75 patients each per
month.
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After HWH therapy started the same nursing staff visited 1,411 patients
over three months, an average of 118 patients each per month.
Healing with Happiness increased home-based care visits by 56%.
No other changes or training was implemented during that period.
RESULTS: INTERVIEWS
One of the home care nurses reported that in the past after seeing her
morning patients she was physically and mentally exhausted. Completing
patient files after morning visits gave her a headache or migraine — she
normally went home not wanting to return to work ever again.
Since the Healing with Happiness program started, her burnout
disappeared. She felt energized and was able to see her morning
patients, complete their files, then go back and see more patients
feeling unstressed and happy.
Another of the home care nursing sisters reported that chronic high
blood pressure, asthma and diabetes left her tired and unable to see too
many patients.
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She later reported that her hypertension and diabetes were fully
controlled, her asthma was significantly improved, and that she was
bursting with new energy and seeing far more patients.
A manager noted that she was getting much more work done in far less
time. To keep up with her workload she had previously often arrived at
work an hour early, skipped lunch and worked late, and was in the habit
of taking work home at night.
After HWH therapy she found she was able to get more work done in a
shorter time and no longer came in early and left late. She now took
daily lunch breaks and seldom took work home — major lifestyle
improvement.
RESULTS: DISCUSSION
Participants are getting more done with less stress and greater
happiness.
Participants are now delivering a significantly greater quantity of care.
Oswald’s findings that stress decreases productivity and happiness
increases productivity are well demonstrated by these results.
Quality of Care
The provision of high quality palliative care requires caring and
compassion and the ability to make good social, emotional and
intellectual decisions — all qualities that are known to be negatively
affected by high levels of stress, depression and burnout.
Caregiver burnout may result in a change in attitude from positive and
caring to negative and unconcerned.
Research shows that highly stressed and depressed caregivers may
provide reduced levels of care, and in some cases act hostile to patients.
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BASELINE
Participants reported that they often attended to patients while highly
stressed, in a state of depression, lethargy and even burnout.
They felt that they were not able to provide a high level of care in this
state and in many cases their unhappiness contributed to patient
depression and hopelessness.
It was apparent that depressed and burnt out caregivers were being sent
to provide care for stressed and depressed patients.
RESULTS: INTERVIEWS
A significant improvement in caregivers’ attitude towards patients and
their relationships with patients was reported after two weeks.
Improvement continued at two and four months and was maintained at
six months.
Participants reported that:
They were now in a much more positive and happy state of mind
when attending to patients, and that this impacted positively on
patients’ mood and to their response to advice and treatment
They were now more caring and attentive to their patients and
gave them greater support
Many patients remarked on how much happier they seemed —
patients felt happier after being attended to and looked forward to
caregiver visits
This new ability to uplift patient mood and happiness is ascribed to
emotional contagion.
Caregivers reported that HWH therapy provided them with an important
and powerful new tool for connecting with patients and gaining their
trust and cooperation.
RESULTS: DISCUSSION
There is no doubt that stress, depression and burnout had negatively
influenced the quality of care and that practicing and providing HWH
therapy enabled these caregivers to provide a significantly higher quality
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Healing Patients
The overwhelming majority of adults receiving care from participants
are people living with HIV and AIDS, although palliative care is also
provided to cancer patients and others in need.
The impact of happiness and positive outlook (as opposed to
unhappiness, stress and depression) on persons suffering from HIV and
other life threatening conditions has been the subject of much research.
Stress and depression impact negatively on immune function thereby
allowing the development of opportunistic diseases in HIV patients.
High levels of stress and depression act to accelerate the development
of HIV and increase mortality.
Stress, depression and unhappiness negatively influence patients’
Attitude towards and acceptance of their illness
Behavior towards those around them
Feelings of self esteem and self worth
Self care and adherence to medication
Trust in and cooperation with palliative care workers
Energy levels
General attitude towards life
ROLLOUT TO PATIENTS
Participants were empowered to implement Healing with Happiness
therapy with patients.
HWH therapy was provided in a number of ways including:
One on one and group HWH practice with patients and
family/home groups during home and clinic visits
HWH practice with in-patients where appropriate
HWH practice in support group meetings
ACCEPTANCE
Being told that one has a life threatening illness like HIV causes untold
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anxiety.
For most people it takes a lot of courage to go for an HIV test.
Once told they are living with HIV they move through a process which
includes denial, bargaining, and then (hopefully) acceptance.
Accepting that one has a life threatening illness can be liberating in that
one then is able to confront the fears that go with that condition. One’s
mind is then open to acquiring new information, accepting and thereby
managing that condition, and future planning.
RESULTS: INTERVIEWS
Caregivers reported that HWH therapy had a powerful positive impact on
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RESULTS: DISCUSSION
HWH therapy has reduced or eliminated Patient Syndrome.
As a result of the Healing with Happiness program many patients:
Demonstrate an improved mental state which has been shown to
slow the progression of HIV and some cancer and reduce mortality
Enjoy enhanced quality of life and outlook
Significantly improve their adherence to medication
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RESEARCH REQUIRED
We believe that patient benefits from HWH therapy have the potential
to become a very important extension of positive psychology and
happiness treatment and to extend happiness therapy into patient
treatment.
InHappiness encourages and is ready to cooperate in research to expand
these exciting preliminary results and develop accurate measures.
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NATURAL LAUGHTER
Happy healthy children are blessed with the gift of natural laughter —
the ability to laugh 300-500 times a day.
Natural laughter is closely allied to, and interwoven with play. Both are
crucial for healthy child development.
Childhood is a difficult period during which we are subjected to the
stress of physically growing, learn and absorb vast amounts of
knowledge, and learn social and so many other skills.
Without the many stress-reducing, pain-reducing, immune-boosting and
other benefits of natural laughter, we probably wouldn’t survive
childhood in good physical and mental health.
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OVC ROLLOUT
Daily practice of Healing with Happiness therapy was implemented at
the OVC Daycare Center with the 52 children of 0-6 years immediately
after training.
Because the school year starts in January, baseline evaluation was
carried out in November and January. Practice with children started in
January and further evaluation was conducted after two and four
months.
Evaluation was carried out through interviews with child caregivers,
management and support staff.
Participants and children practice HWH therapy together as part of their
daily morning assembly. Further child-initiated spontaneous practice
occurs throughout the day.
The following information is based on caregiver and center management
interviews.
BASELINE
Many children were suffering from chronic stress as a result of trauma
resulting from the death of parents, siblings and family members
High degrees of stress also resulted from living in homes with sick or
dying relatives or parents, and from having to cope with relocation to a
new home, and in some case from being separated from siblings and
other family members.
Many of the children experienced ongoing stress from their home
situation. Some were living with sick or dying relatives or parents, while
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RESULTS: ACCEPTANCE
Most children quickly took to the Aerobic Laughter exercises and
engaged fully and enthusiastically. It was immediately apparent that
they loved every minute of it.
They quickly learnt the exercises and competed for the opportunity to
lead exercises — the duty of leading Aerobic Laughter exercises was soon
handed over completely to the children.
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Some of the more subdued children had initially not participated, but
after a week or two most were engaging fully.
In addition to the structured morning therapy session, Aerobic Laughter
exercises continued throughout the day:
Exercises were often spontaneously initiated by the children
Children often asked the teacher if they could ‘do laughter now’ —
sometimes quite insistently
It is clear that these kids needed to re-start their natural laughter and
that they loved to laugh.
RESULTS: COPING
It was clear that the children were coping much better in all areas.
There was less crying, tantrums and conflict.
The behavior of children who were previously stressed and withdrawn on
collection in the morning, and on their return home in the afternoon,
changed over the space of one or two weeks.
In the mornings they were happier, running up to the vehicle already
smiling, happy or even laughing, and in the afternoon laughing and
playing until and after being dropped off.
The home situation that had previously stressed them did not change,
but their change in behavior demonstrates a newfound ability to cope
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RESULTS: SOCIALIZATION
Initial concerns that the laughter would make children harder to control
were wrong.
Relations between the children and care workers improved
significantly with improved cooperation and communication, and a
corresponding reduction in disciplinary problems
Relations between children improved, with increased play and the
development of new friendships
In many cases relationships with foster parents improved
Children who were previously withdrawn or engaged in antisocial
behavior showed a marked improvement — one previously withdrawn
child who had bullied his classmates for two years started to laugh,
play and socialize and stopped his aggressive behavior
DISCUSSION
Reports from child caregivers and the OVC center manager leave little
doubt that the Healing with Happiness program can help to heal
traumatized children and assist in restoring the happy childhood and
future that they deserve.
Levels of trauma, grief, stress and depression have been significantly
reduced and levels of happiness and positive emotions have been
significantly increased in this group of orphans and vulnerable children
as a result of HWH therapy practice.
Research indicates that this could significantly improve the future that
they now look forward to.
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I don’t know where it went. It was very high, and used to be 150-170,
but now it is normal at 120-116. These days 130-138 is high for me.”
Professional Nurse
“My hypertension is gone — blood pressure is normal. I am diabetic but
my sugar is down from 15-17 to 6.4 — 8.3. I used to suffer chronic back
pain but it has virtually disappeared. Laughter therapy has changed by
life.” Nursing Sister
“I used to get lots of headaches and migraines. I still get some but
seldom need pain tablets now.” Nursing Director
“In the past I was very stressed and angry and always sick. Since
laughter therapy I’m not stressed and almost never sick. I no longer need
to take tablets for blood pressure. My manager told me last week how
happy I look.” Assistant Teacher
“I have more energy. Before laughter therapy I often felt heavy like I
just wanted to sleep, but that’s gone - it’s over. I’m healthier than
before, I feel light.” Training Manager
“Even with tablets my blood pressure was too high. Since laughter
therapy my blood pressure is perfect, I don’t suffer hypertension
anymore.” OVC Center Manager
“I don’t get migraines as often anymore. Body pains and aches are less.”
Fundraising Manager
“I am diabetic - was on 1000 mg of medication twice a day. After
laughter therapy my blood sugar started dropping at 10:00 a.m. in the
morning and I couldn’t understand it, so I went to the doctor. He
stopped my medication — my diabetes is gone. My blood sugar is 5-6 all
the time now.” Professional Nurse
“Laughter therapy has had a big impact on my life. After we started my
blood sugar dropped.” Driver
“I’m turning 65 next month, and this is the first time I am able to accept
my life as it is. That I’m also pretty, clever, good. Laughter therapy has
helped me to accept everything about my terrible past. I’m so grateful
and have forgiven all the people who have hurt me over all these years.”
Professional Nurse
“Laughter therapy has helped me. I thought it was magic come inside
me. Every time I get upset, I laugh and my stress disappears.” Assistant
Teacher
“I’m not so serious any more. I laugh a lot more. I have fewer
headaches. I have more energy. My relationship with my children moved
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PROPAGATION
To roll the Healing with Happiness program out on a large scale we need
the support and cooperation of the largest caregiving management and
funding organizations.
InHappiness is working with USAID to provide Healing with Happiness
education to leading NGOs providing services to OVC.
We are actively presenting the program at international conferences and
USAID partner meetings and will present four papers at the 2011 AIDS
conference in South Africa.
We are in talks with organizations that manage and fund tens of
thousands of caregivers.
While organizations are very keen to implement Healing with Happiness
there is one common stumbling block.
The problem is funding.
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Our goal is to sponsor Healing with Happiness for a million people during
2012.
With your help we can do it.
SPREADING HAPPINESS
Building your happiness is a great way to increase world happiness.
Build your Happiness Intelligence and your happiness will follow.
We’d love to help you.
Sign up at the Happiness University for online Happiness Coaching —
the program is designed to help you build your Happiness Intelligence
Come laugh with us — learn Aerobic Laughter at a JOYGYM Experience
event — you may decide to train further for self practice, group
practice, to become a Happiness Volunteer, or even a laughter or
happiness professional
Become a Happiness Volunteer — you’ll get to give the gift of laughter
and happiness to your community and make a real difference — your
training cost will sponsor Healing with Happiness
Get your class to adopt a caregiver or OVC group and sponsor their
Healing with Happiness program — what a great way to make the
world a better place
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LICENSING HAPPINESS
We’re making the JOYGYM Happiness System available worldwide under
license.
Licensing seems the best way to help as many people as possible to build
Happiness Intelligence.
We provide know-how and training, centralized monitoring and
evaluation services, and the right to use our brands.
Licensees provide JOYGYM programs to our high professional standards
and pay fees based on their income that sponsor the Healing with
Happiness program.
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Thank you
Before we say good bye we’d like to thank you for reading this book.
If you want to keep up with our progress or interact in any way please
visit WWW.JOYGYM.ORG — we’d love to have you as a friend.
You can learn more about our projects and register for regular updates.
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Malik Jaffer
Malik Jaffer was born a sixth generation Kenyan in Nairobi to parents of
East Indian decent and migrated to San Diego, California in 1969.
Malik holds a Masters Degree in Public Health from the Boston University
School of Public Health. He is also a Reiki master and painter.
He has worked for Red Cross, Project Hope and the Aga Khan Foundation
in Tanzania, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kenya, Cambodia, Albania
and other countries.
He currently advises governments in HIV and AIDS programs and policy.
Memory Matanda
An educational psychologist by profession and development worker by
inclination, Memory holds an MSc in Educational Psychology.
She taught Psychology, Counseling and Special Education at Zimbabwe
Open University (2000-2008) and worked in HIV and AIDS program
development and implementation and research and development.
Memory has a passion for working with marginalized communities
especially orphans and vulnerable children and their caregivers.
She migrated with her family to South Africa from Zimbabwe in 2009 and
heads JOYGYM HappyMetrics as a director of InHappiness.
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EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE
InHappiness would like to thank leading positive psychologists including
Martin Seligman, Christopher Peterson, Barbara Fredrickson, Sonja
Lyubomirsky, Jonathan Haidt, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Ed Diener, Robert
Biswas-Diener, Tal Ben-Shahar, Shawn Achor, Karen Reivich, Marcus
Buckingham and Julie Norem.
Their insights and discoveries have helped us to improve the
effectiveness and efficacy of the JOYGYM Happiness System.
Thanks also to laughter researchers that helped inspire and guide the
development Aerobic Laughter therapy: Normal Cousins, William Fry,
Lee Berk, Stanley Tan, Michael Miller, Kazuo Murakami, Christian
Barnard, Keiko Hayashi, Takashi Hayashi, Sue McGreevey, Robert
Provine, Jaak Panksepp, Anthony Joshua, Mary Bennet, Shevach Friedler,
Gita Suraj-Narayan, Hajime Kimata, Nancy Yovetich, Willibald Ruch,
Paul McGhee, Ilona Papousek, Irina Falkenberg, Paul Devereux, Patty
Wooten, Heidi Beckman and Madan Kataria.
In South Africa we have been fortunate to receive help from many
special people. We would like to single out Penny Makhelemele, Letty
Ndebele, Nicola Taylor, Jopie van Rooyen, Nicky Jackman, Rachel
Compaan, Dr. Liz Gwyther, Elizabeth Scrimgeour, Nkosazana Ngidi,
Mamaki Mlangeni, Marisa Wolheim, Joan Moira de Jong, Estelle du Toit,
Anita Savvas, Gita Suraj-Narayan, Hector Rakhetsi, Neil Orr, Mona
Maharaj, Basil Kransdorff, Tim Boyd, Sue Grealy, Sue Jameson, Daniel
Bakken, Johan Emerson Grobler, Charmaine Sparrow, Shareen Richter,
Fritz Holscher, Jason Wasenaar, Dr. Natalya Dinat, Masi Makhelemele,
Mona Maharaj, Nigel Unwin, Nina du Toit and Sarah Davids, Jacky
Schoeman, Bonnie Haack, JP Gernaat, Janine Grobler, Lebo, Jude, Fifi
for sincere thanks.
Finally thanks to our volunteer editors especially Johan Grobler, Pierre
Ah-Fat, Pieter Uys, Tara Denby, Andrea Daniels, and Ambereen Jaffer.
To those that have helped us but are not mentioned, we apologize for
the omission and give our thanks.
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