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THE ENJOYMENT REPORT

Circulation

Spring Enjoyment Report
Publishers: Phil & Susan Sorentino

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http://www.humorconsultants.com

©Humor Consultants, Inc. 2002

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Procrastination is the biggest nation in the world.
Phil Sorentino, CSP

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Please forward this E-Zine to anyone you know who would benefit
from our Customized Enjoyment Performance Systems.

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Capital Club Speakers Series

2. Control Stress Before It Causes Harm

3. Humor Research

4. Come To Our Humor Camp!!

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1. Capital Club Speakers Series
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Make your reservations with the Capital Club Receptionist
614-228-0225
Columbus, Ohio

Ken Blanchard, Live and Interactive

Thursday, April 25th at 8:30 a.m.

Ken Blanchard, Best-Selling Author, Speaker, and Business Consultant, marks 20 years of the One Minute Manager. Chairman & "Chief Inspirational Officer" of The Ken Blanchard Companies, Ken Blanchard has Lead the Business Community to Success through his writings and speaking. Take advantage of this great opportunity to see Ken Blanchard in action!

Interactive opportunities during this Video Conference will be made available to attendees.

Join us for this Breakfast of Champions!

Retail Value: Over $125 per person
Member Price $45 / Guest $65 - Two for One, Bring a Guest for Free!!
Season Pass, 4 Leaders of Legacy Speakers: Members $120 / Guests $200

Phil Sorentino, CSP

"Is Your Net- Working?"

Monday, April 29th at 5:30 p.m. & Tuesday, April 30th at 7:30 a.m.

Business is done between 9am and 5pm. It's before and after when we build our business through networking. Phil Sorentino, CSP, will discuss the do's and don'ts of business networking.
Come with your business cards…learn about others and have them learn about you!

**Say your Phil's guest when calling to make your reservation**

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2. Control Stress Before It Causes Harm
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By Lyrysa Smith
Albany Times Union

Humans have always had stress. But today's stress is particularly detrimental to health, the product of day-after-day agitations of a hectic household and a demanding job.

Stress used to be a brief "fight-or- flight" response meant to protect us in times of danger. But in the modern maelstrom of life, chronic stress sets in and can cause serious harm.

Stress can make our joints ache, our hair fall out, our memories falter and our libidos crash. A stressful job can be as harmful to a woman's heart as smoking, said a recent study by the Harvard University School of Public Health.

Experts from the National Institute of Health concur: Research indicates that 80 percent of all ailments, from a common cold to life-threatening heart disease, are linked to or aggravated by chronic stress.

But the moment we calm down, our bodies begin healing the negative effects caused by stress. A shared laugh, a short walk, several deep breaths, even imagining something relaxing all send out hormones that make us feel better.

Dealing with stress effectively is a health-protecting skill and essential to improving quality of life.

"Stress is a part of life, but it isn't always negative. It can be a motivator, keeping you focused and on task," said Robert Wishnoff, a psychiatrist and clinical director of Human Resource Associates in Albany, N.Y. "The concern is when people lose the ability to alleviate stress, which leads to distress and creates physical symptoms."

The following describes the serious toll that stress can have on the body and ways to recover quickly and make repairs.

* Brain: The chain reaction of stress starts in the brain with a blast of hormones from the adrenal glands, including cortisol, which push the body into a hyped-up state. When cortisol levels fly high for extended periods of time, there's no relaxing or sound sleeping, and the prolonged tension causes headaches, irritability, aggression, inability to concentrate and memory loss. Stress can fray emotions and trigger depression, too. To the rescue are the brain chemicals called endorphins. Brought on by lively physical activity, endorphins drive down cortisol levels, energize us and allow us to feel joyful again.

* Eyes: Vision is sharpened by hormone-induced dilation of the eyes. But the delicate eye muscles often twitch from fatigue, and other sight problems may occur. Stretching and breathing exercises can decrease body tension and create better blood circulation to eye tissue.

* Hair: Considered a barometer of health, hair reveals stress quickly. Stress burns nutrients such as the vitamin selenium, which can lead to dull hair and premature graying.

* Lungs: One of the first reactions triggered by stress is to hyperventilate. Ongoing quick, harp breaths can cause dizziness and diaphragm pain. The remedy, of course, is slow; deep breathing that decreases blood pressure and lowers levels of stress hormones.

* Heart: A stressed-out heart pumps fast and hard. Blood pressure rises. This brings about heart palpitations and chest pains. Stress can prevent blood from clotting properly and promotes the formation of artery-clogging plague.

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3. In Some Offices, Play Is A Job Requirement
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By Thomas Lee
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The folks at the D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles advertising agency in St. Louis like to rock climb, visit art museums and even go to the movies -- on company time.

At Habanero Computing Solutions Inc., a St. Louis-area computer-consulting firm, employees play video games and go bowling.

Executives at Aurora Foods, a manufacturer in St. Louis, encourage employees to write on the walls with markers, experiment with Play-Doh and play with Slinkies.

Doesn't anyone work anymore?

Actually, what they do is considered work. These companies and others have learned that to stimulate the creative juices that w ill allow workers to develop a product or service better than the competition's, it might require a little goofing off.

"It's about play," said Shelley Berc, a director and co-founder of the Creativity Workshop, a New York consulting firm. "But it's creative play."

Why do companies need creativity tools or programs? For one thing, creativity is the lifeblood of certain company operations, such as marketing, sales and research and development, experts say. Markets such as the food and beverage industry are so saturated that companies struggle to distinguish their products from competitors, said Dave Owens, Aurora's vice president of product development.

Being creative can be especially challenging in the food and beverage industry, because "consumers like familiarity," he said. That leaves product-development teams less room to indulge their imaginations. Some of the most successful products have been slight variations on existing ones, Owens said.

So it's imperative for companies that depend heavily on creativity to make sure their employees stay fresh and nimble, and Ron Crooks, D'Arcy's managing director and chief creative officer in St. Louis.

"Creativity is a commodity," he said. "It can get diminished. You have to replenish it. We encourage people to take a minute to walk away from whatever they are doing and come back at it from an entirely different perspective." Some of the biggest obstacles to creativity can be the company itself, experts say.

Businesses often fail to marry the goals of the company to the personal goals of an employee, said Kathy Cramer, a psychologist and founder of the Cramer Institute, a Clayton, Mo.-based consulting firm.

But employees will have more of an incentive to be creative if they are invested in the company, Cramer said. "Then everything you do brings a benefit to you and the company."

Can this stuff really work? Can companies create a more creative work force?

Experts say yes -- but only if done properly.

Too often, these activities are not designed or executed properly, and many companies fail to follow up on their employees' progress or lack of growth, said Mike Lockwood, senior product manager at Maritz Inc., a St. Louis-based consulting firm.

While Maritz specializes in designing financial incentive programs to reward employee performance, Lockwood believes creativity programs are useful under certain conditions.

"It has to be continuously done," he said. "It can't be a one-time event."

Creativity exercises benefit employees only if the company provides the appropriate context by helping employees apply whatever they have learned to their actual jobs, said Annette Veech, a professor of business communications at Washington University's Olin School of Business and a former consultant at Arthur Andersen and Co.

Otherwise, "We all fall into our old habits," Veech said.
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Read on for a creative program we have developed for our clients!!!!!!!!!!!!

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4. Come To Our Humor Camp!!
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Coming To Work, Ready To Play(tm) Camp:
Creating Results Through Enjoyable Solutions

Humor Consultants, Inc. and Camp Mary Orton have partnered to present this one half to one-day program for groups who would like to have more fun at work and work smarter as a team. Humor Consultants, Inc. has been helping organizations for over twenty years to have more fun on the job. Camp Mary Orton, located outside of Columbus, Ohio, has helped thousands of teams experience change and growth through their adventure based activities. Corporate executives have utilized this type of programming to improve their overall level of functioning. The Leadership and Challenge Center at Camp Mary Orton offers groups a variety of team building activities including, Ground Initiatives, High Ropes Course, Adventure Elements, Wilderness Bond programs, and Team Workshops.

Humor Consultants is really excited to lead your team through this experience of fun, communication, and teamwork. You'll get more out of this experience than you could ever imagine! Don't miss out on this opportunity.

Contact Humor Consultants, Inc. today to reserve your team's adventurous day of fun and growth. Call us for details at 614-410-6969 or 800-896-1990 to "Customize A Day" for your team's unique challenges.

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Humor Consultants, Inc.
83 East Olentangy Street
P.O. Box 399
Powell, Ohio 43065
(614) 410-6969, Fax (614) 410-5310
1(800) 896-1990
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