What’s So Funny About…Stress?

By Karyn Buxman

Karyn Buxman, international speaker, successful author, and neurohumorist.

Karyn Buxman, international speaker, successful author, and neurohumorist.

There is no woman in the world who doesn’t deal with formidable stress, myself included. Over a period of seven years, my 13-year-old son, Adam, developed a debilitating illness that was so mysterious, he was featured on the CBS news show 48 Hours. My oldest son, David, developed life-threatening cancer in his junior year of college. My mother (the coolest mom on the planet) was stricken with Alzheimer’s—her greatest fear in life. Meanwhile, I left a marriage of 25 years to a man who couldn’t deal with no longer being the center of our universe. As the years dragged on, I was convinced this was going to be the everlasting trend of my life’s story. 

Suffice it to say the stress was so overwhelming that I found myself gaining weight, grinding my teeth and crying in the shower at night so I wouldn’t disturb anyone. Irritability, insomnia and depression crept into my daily life. And then finally I was struck by a blinding flash of the obvious -- If I didn’t take care of myself, I wouldn’t be able to care for my loved ones. So, I had to figure out how to deal with my stress.

I grew up in a small river-town, Hannibal Missouri, the boyhood home of Mark Twain. My dad was a doctor, my mother was a nurse, and it seemed only natural that I’d become a nurse, too. Over a dozen years I worked in the ER, the ICU and the OR. I eventually went back to school for my master’s degree and it was there that I began my research on the relationship between humor, health and communication. Thirty years later, I’ve traveled from Burbank to Bangkok and addressed audiences of less than 10 to greater than 10,000. While traveling the world is now temporarily on hold, I continue helping others through my books, online classes and group coaching. I know with every fiber of my being that humor used intentionally and consistently can help people live healthier, wealthier and happier lives. And, frankly, there’s never been a time when we’ve needed it more.

Karyn Buxman

Stress. A Demand for Change.

I once saw a bumper sticker that defined stress as “The confusion created when one’s mind overrides the body’s basic desire to choke the living daylights out of some jerk who desperately deserves it” (can you relate?). Researcher Hans Selye, also known as The Father of Stress, defined stress a bit more academically as “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change.”

The statistics of stress in today’s world are alarming, and the number of women reporting stress far outweighs their male counterparts. As a result, women are twice as likely as men to suffer from depression according to the National Institute of Mental Health. A recent study from the University of Houston showed that one in three women reported feeling anxious almost everyday. 

So what might this look like for you? How about a little muscle tension, a tight neck or shoulders, pain when you chew? Women under stress often experience something called temporal mandibular joint disease, or TMJ, from clenching and grinding their teeth at night, and most are unaware until they start experiencing joint pain or clicking in their jaw. I remember when my dentist asked me, during that stressful seven-year period, if I knew anyone who ground their teeth at night. I assured him I didn’t. And then he pointed at me and said, “You do.” 

For many women excessive stress (distress) shows up through changes in sleep patterns. Perhaps you feel like pulling the covers over your head and setting your alarm clock for three months from now, or maybe instead you lie down and try to will yourself to sleep, only to go through the 5 Stages of Grief: 

Denial: You find yourself staring at your clock telling yourself that 6 hours of sleep is doable. 

Anger: Then you say to yourself, “Fine! I’ll get by with 5.” 

Bargaining with God: “Please just give me 3 ½...”

Depression: “I’m doomed. Only 2 hours left to sleep.”

Acceptance: The alarm clock goes off and you tell yourself, “Fine. I’m fine. Really, I’m fine.”

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Some women's stress manifests itself in their eating patterns, where they become so stressed that they lose all desire to eat. Still, others may have a fork poised in their hand, ready to jab at anything salty or sweet within reach and then swish it down with their favorite cocktail.

Maybe you’ve noticed your heart racing or even fluttering. Or have you seen an increase in your blood pressure? Have you ever found yourself holding your breath? Or perhaps it’s mood swings:  one minute you’re fine and the next minute you’re sobbing uncontrollably over Steel Magnolias. In fact, stress can manifest in every system of your body. It shows up differently for each of us, but it does take its toll. Stress is shown to be a contributing factor in 60% of all diseases and illnesses, according to the American Medical Association. 

You had the power all along, my dear.

“Enough!” you say. “Quit stressing me out!” Okay. Here’s good news:  With the right variety of tools, you have the power to counteract the negative effects of stress. Perhaps you choose to embark on a meditation or mindfulness practice or maybe yoga, dance, music, prayer, essential oils, exercise. . . or kale. And of course, there is humor. Stress isn’t funny, but it may, in fact, be a laughing matter.

Let me say that even though I’m a neurohumorist, I will be the first to tell you that humor is not the be-all end-all. The truth is that any number of these practices will work if you do just that: practice them. I’ve found over decades of research that the key to the effectiveness of any and all of the above is 1) intentionality and 2) consistency.

In my TEDx, “How Humor Can Save the World,” I explain in more detail the effects of humor, particularly on the brain. But in a nutshell, for every negative effect of stress on your body, humor can provide the antithesis. Humor and laughter can decrease muscle tension (ever laughed so hard you had to lean over and hang on to something?). Laughter deepens respirations (you can’t hold your breath and laugh). Humor bolsters the immune system with an increase in white blood cells, immunoglobulins, T-cells and more. It also lowers cortisol, decreasing inflammation in the body (which exacerbates heart disease, diabetes, auto-immune disorders, cancer, Alzheimer’s and more). My friend and colleague Dr. Lee Berk said, “If we took what we know now about laughter and bottled it, it would require FDA approval.”

Psychologically, humor lowers anxiety and stress by changing the way we see our stressors. Remember Hans Selye? He said, “It’s not stress that kills us, it’s our reaction to it.” One of the superpowers of humor is to help us change our reaction by changing our perception. When we can laugh about what is causing us stress—whether that stressor is a person, a disease, a politician, a belief—whatever the stressor may be, humor gives us power; humor gives us hope; humor gives us victory.

Socially, humor can help you deal with feelings of isolation by decreasing resistance and strengthening your connections with others—even if they’re driving you a little crazy. When experiencing humor, the brain secretes a neurotransmitter, oxytocin, which is also known as the cuddle hormone. This helps you feel closer to the person you’re sharing humor with. 

With great power comes great responsibility

The bad news is that knowing humor is helpful won’t be enough to change your world. The good news is that taking action on this knowledge will change your world. Below are some simple steps that will help turn things around.

  1. See Funny. This involves changing your mindset from “There’s nothing funny happening in my life!” to “Humor is abundant—what am I missing?” The more you practice seeking humor in your day, the more your brain will reward you and help you discover what you’re looking for.

  2. Stack the Deck. This involves manipulating your environment to increase the likelihood of experiencing humor. You can tap technology, apps, social media and streaming networks, spend more time with the people who bring joy when they enter the room—and less time with the ones who bring joy when they leave the room! Again, intentionality and consistency are key.

  3. Become a student of humor. The field of applied humor is young compared to other fields in science and there is a surge of new information. The American Institute of Stress (AIS) just released a 6-part documentary called “Mismatched: Your Brain Under Stress” and they have an entire episode on stress and the power of humor. There are a number of organizations with information like the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. You’ll find online programs, group coaching programs, books, articles and much more on my High Performance Humor site and the sites of other experts in this field. (Have I mentioned “Be intentional & Be consistent”?)

The Rest of the Story

During the 7 years of caring for sick children, a sick parent, and dealing with a divorce, I did a deep search inside myself looking for the answer to “how do I deal with all that I’ve been dealt?” I realized my life philosophy, to live amazed and amused. 

I’m always keeping an eye out for those things that amuse me. And when I can’t find anything amusing, I search for that which is amazing. This philosophy has guided me through my youngest son’s illness, which has finally disappeared; my oldest son’s cancer, which is in full remission; my mother’s journey through Alzheimer’s, which she handled with humor and grace; and my journey in finding myself and eventually, my soulmate. I truly believe humor can change your story, too, because humor is power.

Sister District Builds Infrastructure for Progressive Political Power

By Ashley Bulayo

Volunteerism has been changing state legislatures through a mighty network between deep blue and red states across the country. The Sister District Project is on a mission to mobilize their enthusiastic volunteers in targeted races in swing states to build enduring progressive power in state legislatures. At Sister District Project, friendship circles and strategic political activism have proven to be a winning mix.

Sister District was formed in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. As the harsh news that Hillary Clinton lost the election began to sink in, activist Rita Bosworth found herself distressed and began wondering what to do next. Being in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a solidly blue and politically activated base, she wondered, “What if we could connect these resources where they are with where they need to be?'" After a few Facebook exchanges with other activists, Rita Bosworth created the organization Sister District Project with four other co-founders, Candis Mitchell, Lala Wu, Gaby Goldstein, and Lyzz Schwegler. Within a week of the 2016 election results, they had started setting up the groundwork to help build progressive political power through grassroots activism. Their goals? Win elections, develop legislators, support organizers, and educate and empower communities. 

Sister District Project co-founders Candis Mitchell, Rita Bosworth, Lala Wu, Gaby Goldstein, and Lyzz Schwegler (from left to right). Photo courtesy of Sister District.

Sister District Project co-founders Candis Mitchell, Rita Bosworth, Lala Wu, Gaby Goldstein, and Lyzz Schwegler (from left to right). Photo courtesy of Sister District.

Their political strategy stems from the ‘sister cities’ concept, where two distant cities or towns form a civic or social relationship to promote cultural and economic ties. Sister District began matching local volunteers with strategically important campaigns in other states, tasking them with things that could be done remotely, from fundraising to writing postcards and contacting voters, with the goal of electing progressives and sparking positive change across the country. 

The organization has activated over 50,000 volunteers, raised upwards of 3.6 million dollars for progressive candidates, and reached out to over 3 million voters.

Passing the torch

In March 2021, Rita Bosworth passed the torch to co-founder Lala Wu, who became Sister District’s new Executive Director. Wu shared her excitement, "We are extremely committed to being an equitable organization and contributing to achieving racial and other equity in the world beyond. I'm especially proud to be taking the helm of the organization as the first woman of color in this role. It's very exciting as we reaffirm our commitment to equity and inclusion." 

Wu will be in charge of advancing Sister District's primary mission to build enduring progressive power in state legislatures. “We do this because states are critical for every aspect of our lives,” she says. “If you care about reproductive justice, gender equity, climate change, education, coronavirus relief, you name it - no matter what you care about - it has to start with the states."

Sister District Project co-founder Lala Wu. Photo by Tumay Aslay.

Sister District Project co-founder Lala Wu. Photo by Tumay Aslay.

The fight for voting rights doesn't stop

Volunteers are at the heart of Sister District as they canvass, phonebank, write postcards and fundraise for candidates. These efforts are essential, especially to support activists and candidates in states where the electorate is fighting against voter suppression. As of March 24, 2021, GOP legislators had introduced over 360 voter restriction bills nationwide.

Georgia recently passed Senate Bill 202 with new regulations on absentee voting and in-person voting rules, such as banning giving food and water to voters waiting in line, as well as changes to how elections are administered in the state. Likewise, Texas' proposed Senate Bill 7 would create further restrictions, including limits to early voting hours and prohibiting drive-thru voting.  With the power of Sister District's voice and team, they hope their organizing efforts will bring attention to why passing these voting restriction bills will be detrimental to our democracy.

Building bridges between elections

Critical change doesn't just happen during an election year. Dramatic political success and big wins are usually the result of many years of intense, strategic grassroots organizing. Case in point: Georgia voters flipped two Congressional seats from red to blue in 2020 - electing new Senators Rafael Warnock and Jon Ossoff - thanks to the work of star organizer and Democratic icon Stacey Abrams, LaTosha Brown of Black Voters Matter, and many other groups. Successful grassroots organizations find ways to engage their constituents between elections.

Sister District is hosting ‘State Bridges’ events twice monthly in 2021, each focused on one of their partner organizations doing year-round power-building work in key states. Their upcoming event on April 29, 2021 will feature The Texas Organizing …

Sister District is hosting ‘State Bridges’ events twice monthly in 2021, each focused on one of their partner organizations doing year-round power-building work in key states. Their upcoming event on April 29, 2021 will feature The Texas Organizing Project

State Bridges was recently launched, connecting volunteers across the country with community-based organizations doing year-round power-building work.

“Some people ask, oh, when is this gonna be over? Now that Trump is out of office and Biden and Harris are in office, is it over?’ It's not over,” says Lala Wu. “This infrastructure is incredibly critical, and we have to continue to build it. That's the only way to succeed. We have to also not let down our guard, not let off on the gas, but continue to fight and persevere and build this infrastructure that's so necessary for us to be able to build this kind of progressive power that's actually enduring." 

Get to know more about Sister District Project 

In February 2021, Sister District held its fourth annual Summit, virtually this time because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the Summit, attendees took a deep dive into their strategy for 2021-2022, including what their electoral map looks like moving forward. The organization will assist campaigns in battleground states such as Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and more. Video recordings and resources from the summit have been made available for public access.

No matter where you live in California, there’s a way to participate in a meaningful way with the Sister District Project. Your voice and actions count. 

Female-Founded Social Media Networks

By Sydney Williams

Ever find yourself craving a different experience on social media platforms? You’re not alone! Female-founded social media networks are emerging nationwide to satisfy this urge, offering more authentic and creative spaces for women to connect and be heard by their peers. 

Gina Pell, The What List co-founder

Gina Pell, The What List co-founder

Among the creative social media networks made for women by women is The What List. Founded by visionary tech entrepreneurs and friends Gina Pell and Amy Parker, The What List offers ‘intelligent, edgy, and interesting online content for women.’ With this creation, Pell and Parker tapped into a soul-deep need among readers for connection and community, and it grew into a private online community called The What Women. Today, their over 35,000 members share stories and ideas, offer support, and seek advice. 

To discover more about this fun tech trend and other rising stars, read Seismic Sisters’ article: Sisterhood, Support, and Solidarity: Female-Founded Social Media Networks Offer Authentic and Creative Space for Women

Beer at the Forefront of Sustainability

By Tumay Aslay

Virginia Morrison, CEO and co-founder of Second Chance Beer Company, has been a leading superstar in the craft beer brewing industry since 2015. Originally from Ohio, Morrison started her career as a successful lawyer who would never have dreamed of owning a brewery. She started out her passion for beer making in her early 20’s as a homebrewer before establishing herself as a professional SoCal craft beer brewer in San Diego. 

With two San Diego locations, Second Chance Beer has made a name for itself in what is still a predominantly white male-dominated industry. More and more women are breaking through the gender-biased wall of craft beer making, beginning to open the doors for further diversification. As a profession that prides itself on its innovation and creativity, female minds are finally being welcomed the way they always should have been.

Seismic Sisters had a chance to speak with Virginia Morrison about her social justice advocacy, her mission, and what it takes to break into the industry as a female brewer.

Photo provided by SCBC

Photo provided by SCBC

Can you tell us a little about Second Chance Beer and the sort of beer you brew?

At Second Chance Beer Company, we are proud to make world-class, award-winning beer. While beer is our passion, our purpose is much greater. Second Chance Beer Company’s mission is to give people, planet, and pups a second chance. For us, it starts with the people. We strive to build an all-inclusive community for all who enjoy drinking our beer.

For the planet, we do business sustainably. Our spent grain (what's leftover after the beer making process) feeds dairy cows at a local farm and over 90% of the décor in our San Diego tasting rooms is upcycled, recycled, and repurposed. Through our hard seltzer line, Slim Chance, we partner with Orange County’s only organic farm to source seasonal ingredients. Then, we pay it forward through 1% for the Planet by donating to the farm’s educational programs that teach kids to grow, eat, and live healthy with food.

We are also lovers of all dogs here at Second Chance Brewery. Citra and Chinook can be found frolicking in and around the brew house all hours of the day. We provide pet insurance at no cost to employees and our tasting rooms are always pet friendly.

Photo provided by SCBC

Photo provided by SCBC

Which beer in your selection is your favorite? Is there a story to go along with it?

 Fistful of Gummies Fruited Sour is my current favorite springtime beer. It’s also one of my all-time favorites because I developed the recipe by pestering my co-founding husband and our Brewmaster, Marty, to infuse our award-winning Slightly Sour German-style sour with Sour Patch Kids. I convinced him to do it for a festival, and once he saw how popular it was, we set out to make the beer with about 40lbs per barrel of candy. We did it, and it still tastes like sour candy. Win-win!

T.H.I.R.S.T.Y. is not just a craving for beer at your brewery, but an acronym for your mission and values. Can you tell us about how SCBC began championing this message and how it is integral to how you create/advocate?

T.H.I.R.S.T.Y. is who we are as people, and the kind of people we want enjoying our beers and tasting rooms. It’s an attitude, a perspective on life, love, community, and work. T.H.I.R.S.T.Y. unites and drives us to give people, planet and pups a second chance through our good fortune as world-class, award-winning craft beer makers.

What inspired you to make philanthropy a pillar in your business and which organizations do you work with?

My purpose in life is to be of service – to others and causes greater than my own. At Second Chance Beer Company, we were founded on giving people, planet and pups a second chance. We do that through partnerships with organizations such as the San Diego Food Bank, ACLU San Diego, Stonewall Citizens Patrol San Diego, Second Chance Dog Rescue, Animal Pad, Pinks Boots Society, and 1% for the Planet.

Virginia Morrison, CEO and co-founder of Second Chance Beer Company. Photo provided by SCBC

Virginia Morrison, CEO and co-founder of Second Chance Beer Company. Photo provided by SCBC

Can you offer some advice to women hoping to make their way in a predominantly male dominated industry?

Find women in craft beer you admire and respect and ask for their help. I know it sounds cliché and maybe even too easy, but in all my careers, I’ve never met or worked with such a supportive and passionate community of women as Pinks Boots Society. Don’t know where to start? Find your local chapter and attend a meeting.

The beer making world has been witnessing the rise of female beer makers. To check out what Second Chance Beer is all about, get to know their products and mission, visit their website at https://www.secondchancebeer.com