Helping the Healing with Humour
Do you want to be a better leader? Being a leader is all about helping others reach their full potential. Whether you are an aspiring leader in business, sport, or mental health, humour can help you reach others. Our most recent guests on the Humourology Podcast have dedicated their lives to helping others heal and achieve their best by embracing a sense of humour. Our guests are champions of changing lives and they have provided our listeners with the expert advice needed to lead with laughter, build relationships, and help others reach their full potential.
Episode 78 with Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE
Overcoming challenges when the odds are stacked against you
Tanni Grey-Thompson is a much-decorated Paralympian who has used her success on the racetrack to help coach and inspire others to compete at a championship level. In addition to her past as a legendary athlete, Tanni uses her experience to fight for the rights of disabled citizens across the country. Tanni taught us that humour is a tool that can help change perspectives and propel anyone to greatness.
“If you don’t have the ability to find humour, or to look at things in a different way. I think it can drag you down.”
Tanni works day and night as a member of the House of Lords to help improve the lives of disabled citizens. She draws on her own experience of being wheelchair-bound to help others learn how to overcome adversity and become a champion. For Tanni, humour is a tool that can bring people together.
“Humour and laughing with my friends, is really important part of my relationships with people.”
Tanni taught us that humour can help get you through the hard times. Having a laugh can help everyone deal with their differences and take a more productive path in life. When it comes to dealing with conflict, Tanni showed us that comedy can help us overcome.
“That’s why I use humour, because it tends to defuse the situation.”
Episodes 79 & 80 with Iain Lee
Laughter lets in the light
Iain Lee is a former broadcaster-turned-counsellor who has used his own experiences as a pivot-point to help others. Much like Tanni Grey-Thompson, Iain knows that humour has power in the healing process. As a counsellor, Iain taught us that laughter is greatly encouraged when it comes to overcoming life’s obstacles.
“I think that the laughter should be encouraged and welcomed in the counselling relationship. Definitely.”
Also, like Tanni, Iain knows that humour can bring people together to form a community. These communities, filled with laughter, can help the healing process, and give everyone the support they need to be vulnerable. Iain taught us that when we can laugh at a situation together, we are one step closer to overcoming it.
“There is something lovely about being in a communal environment where everybody is laughing. It’s joyous, joyous is a step closer to God. I think that laughing takes us somewhere like that.”
Iain returned to the podcast for a second helping of a conversation about humour, healing, and inspiring hope. When working with others Iain employs humour as a tool to help people grow into their best selves. A tactic that he himself has used many times to overcome adversity and addiction.
“If we can’t have a laugh at ourselves, what’s the point? As long as my behaviour is improving, I can laugh at what I did when I was a kid. I can laugh at what I did when I was high.”
As this article from The Mayo Clinic states, when it comes to relieving stress, more giggles and guffaws are just what the doctor ordered. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456
“Whether you’re guffawing at a sitcom on TV or quietly giggling at a newspaper cartoon, laughing does you good. Laughter is a great form of stress relief, and that’s no joke.”
Embracing the changes with humour and humility
Both of our expert guests have a lot to teach us about using humour to help you transition into a life of helping others. For both Tanni and Iain, humour was the catalyst that helped them transition from a competitive career to a life of helping others. Both of our expert guests have done the work to overcome their own obstacles to reach the top of their field.
We sincerely hope that our lovely listeners can learn loads about leading, learning, and laughing from their stories.
If you have not done so already, give their interviews a listen and see how you can use humour to help others and inspire hope for those who need it most, only on The Humourology Podcast.
If you enjoy any of the interviews, please take a moment to like, subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.
See you next Tuesday.
Warmest,
Paul x
Considering a career change yourself?
If like both Tanni and Iain you are finding yourself at a crossroads in your career, feeling like you want to instigate change but need to examine where you are and where you want to be you’ll benefit from having a one to one session with Paul. Paul’s Corporate Coaching sessions could be just the launchpad you are looking for to help free yourself to make the right choices. Contact Paul here to take the next step.
Looking to inspire your team for change?
If you want to infuse your workplace with a culture of connection and communication through comedy, consider a Humourology Workshop. Paul’s years of experience of improving employee morale and overhauling the workplace environment with humour in mind is proven to bring your business a better culture. Contact Paul here to discover how.
