The Judy Croon Show -Shelf Help with a Smile

Laugh Long and Prosper -How Not To Age by Michael Gregar

Laugh Long And Prosper -How Not To Age by Michael Gregar
Want to know the secrets to staying young and healthy? How Not to Age (The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as you get older (2021) has got you covered! This book dives into the science behind aging, explaining how our bodies change as we get older and what we can do to slow down the process. From eating right and staying active to getting enough sleep and managing stress, this book gives you all the tips and tricks you need to age gracefully. Say goodbye to myths and hello to real, science-backed advice on how to look and feel your best as you grow older.
http://www.JudyCroon

Laugh Long and Prosper -A Whole New Mind

Hi there, I’m Judy Croon, Canada’s Keynote Humourist. Welcome to another episode of Laugh Long and Prosper.
Today, I'm reviewing a great book called, ' A Whole New Mind. Why Right Brainers will Rule The Future' by Daniel H. Pink.
Daniel H. Pink is an American author who has written numerous New York Times bestsellers including: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us; The Power of Regret: How Looking Back Moves Us Forward; When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing and his latest bestseller, A Whole New Mind - Why Right Brainers Will Rule The World.
In A Whole New Mind - Why Right Brainers Will Rule The World, Pink says that people and companies that want to succeed in the future have to ask three very important questions:


1. Can someone overseas do my job cheaper? 

2. Can a computer do my job faster? 

3. Is what I'm offering in demand in an age of abundance, where people are looking to satisfy their aesthetic, emotional, and spiritual demands?
Pink stresses that as artificial intelligence potentially threatens many jobs around the world, artistic and creative skills are becoming even more essential.
Pink suggests that this is the perfect time to lean into the right, bright creative side of the brain; a side that often gets overlooked by the left logical, analytical side.
In doing so, Pink highlights six areas where the right brain excels.
Check it out.
http://www.JudyCroon.com
Judy Croon is Canada’s Keynote Humorist, Tedx motivational speaker, comedian and stand-up coach at Second City. She has worked with many celebrities including; John Cleese, Jon Stewart, and Joan Rivers.
Her specials have appeared on NBC, CBS, CTV and The Comedy Network.
She is a co-author of ‘From the Stage to the Page: Life Lessons from Four Funny Ladies!”
Judy draws from her standup performance and coaching experience to entertain, inform and inspire in her dynamic keynote entitled, ‘Relieving Work Related Stress with Humour’.
Judy is the creator/host of ‘Laughlines’ and ‘Stand Up For The Girls’ which have both helped raise over $650,000 for breast cancer research.

Laugh Long & Prosper with Susan Stewart

Hi there,
I’m Judy Croon. Canada’s Keynote Humourist Welcome to another episode of Laugh Long and Prosper. Today I’m chatting with Susan Stewart
For the past 15 years, Susan Stewart has been entertaining and inspiring audiences across North America. Susan is best known for her ability to make people laugh while helping them to meet their challenges with a sense of humour. Susan is the author of 3 books including her latest title, You Gotta Laugh: Wit And Wisdom About Not Taking Life (Or Yourself) Too Seriously. Susan's podcast, Still A Hot Mess, and her comedy album, Relentless, are available on iTunes and Spotify. You can learn more about Susan at http://www.susanstewart.ca
SHOW INFO
A Bit More Than A Rough Patch: A Comedy Show About Taking Mental Health Seriously
Join comedian Susan Stewart for a night of laughs while she shares her mental health journey and what she has learned the hard way about taking mental health seriously. You won't want to miss this important community event that raises awareness about mental health and raises money for the Brantford General Hospital's Mental Health Unit. Here is the link.
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-bit-more-than-a-rough-patch-tickets-777896568577
http://www.JudyCroon.com

Laugh Long & Prosper -Live To 100: Secrets of The Blue Zones

I’m Judy Croon. Canada’s Keynote Humourist Welcome to another episode of Laugh Long and Prosper.
Documentary Review - Live to 100: Secrets of The Blue Zones
This is a great documentary to kick off the new year.
In this compelling 90-minute Netflix movie, author and National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner shares fascinating information about the Blue Zones, five areas in the world where, per capita, there are the most residents who are living to 100 years-old or longer!
The Blue Zones are located in Sardinia (Italy), Ikaria (Greece), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Loma Linda (California) and, topping the list with the highest number of centenarians per capita in the world, Okinawa (Japan).
Host Dan Buettner, who has studied the Blue Zones for over 10 years with doctors, demographers and psychologists, tries to uncover the secrets to longevity in these parts of the world.
It’s worth noting that presently, according to the CDC (the Centre for Disease Control) the average American is living until they are 78 years-old.
However, research shows that the human body has an excellent chance of making it to 90 years-old, if taken care of properly.
So how do we get back 12 years? How do we protect ourselves from chronic diseases, heart disease and diabetes?
It’s also worth noting another study outside of this documentary that was done in Denmark, involving 2500 Danish twins.
The study revealed that genetics only determine about 20 percent of our longevity. Our lifestyle determines the other 80 percent!
So, what can the Blue Zones teach us?
First of all, if you’re hoping for one easy fix, there isn’t one.
Secrets of the Blue Zones proposes that the key to aging well is a combination of lifelong practices - a series of daily fixes if you will. What’s hopeful about this documentary is that there are lots of takeaways that people living outside of the Blue Zones can use.
Buettner says it boils down to 9 pieces.
Number One: Moving Naturally (without effort)
No gym memberships here. Blue Zone centenarians move without having to think about it.
They build natural movement into their daily routines.
It could be as simple as sitting. The women of Okinawa don’t sit on chairs - they sit on the floor! This means having to get up at least 30 or 40 times a day.
Many Okinawan centenarians also garden at least one hour a day.
In Sardinia, Italy many of the centenarians are or were shepherds.
This means that they easily clock at least 6 miles a day walking up and down hills with their flocks.
It doesn’t get easier when they go home. The town itself has many hills and stairs. Many narrow houses are built with multiple level staircases.
Number Two: Purpose
A recent study showed that more Americans die in their first year of retirement than in their last year of work.
People in the Blue Zones do not have any specific year for retirement. They always keep busy.
Perhaps the centenarians of Okinawa, Japan say it best when it comes to purpose. They have a word for purpose. It’s called Ikigai. Ikigai means’ a reason for being’ - a reason for getting out of bed every morning.
But Ikigai doesn’t have to be complicated.
One resident who is a karate master at 102 years- old says his Ikigai is to continue his martial arts practice.
Another Okinawa centenarian says his Ikigai is catching three fish a week so he can feed his family.
(Cont)

Jason Balgopal founder of Mental.Wellness.help

Hi there, I’m Judy Croon, Canada’s Keynote Humourist.
A few years ago, during Covid, I did an interview with friend and founder of a group called http://MentalWellness.help
Since then, it has expanded tremendously.
If you are struggling, please reach out.
Free peer support meetings are available around the globe almost 24/7.
Sign up here:
https://www.meetup.com/mental-wellness-peer-to-peer-support-groups/
Since, this interview, they now offer, free professional therapy sessions with licensed professionals. Yes, free!
My guest, Jason Balgopal is a lawyer by day and community volunteer by night.
He graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, and was called to the Bar in 1999. His day job has allowed him to appear in all levels of courts in Ontario, and he has conducted all manner of trials including murder trials.
Being a perfectionist by nature in an imperfect world was one catalyst which started his downward slide into depression in the early 2000’s. By 2004, he was officially diagnosed with depression, and commenced a 10-year path through darkness. With the help of a psychiatrist, a therapist, some medication, friends, family and his supportive wife, by 2014, he was able to get into a better “head space”. During this time, he found that volunteering gave him an opportunity to develop skills and interests outside of his day job.
During this time, he found that volunteering gave him an opportunity to develop skills and interests outside of his day job. Since 2008, many evenings have been spent as a leader on the Board of Directors of numerous not-for-profit and community organizations.
The skills of leadership which he gained on those Boards, combined with a desire to give back to the community, drove him in 2015, to create the Mental Wellness Peer Support Groups.
Currently, after work, he spends most evenings ensuring that the 6 weekly Peer Support Groups are successful, and finding ways to grow and promote these free and confidential groups to a wider audience.
The format is one hour long. Each person may (but doesn’t have to) share how their mental wellness is affecting them. They can then get “feedback” from another member (which is empathy or a technique which has worked for that other member…none of us will tell someone what they “should” do…as none of us is a professional).
The groups have been very popular as they offer three significant benefits:
1. Members learn that they are not alone, and that there are others like them suffering;
2. Members can unburden themselves to a sympathetic ear…rather than continue to over-burden their spouse or parents who don’t have the lived-history to help;
3. Members can get real-world suggestions of techniques which others have used successfully.
Here are some important links:
1. Our website: www.MentalWellness.help and
2. Our FB Page: www.facebook.com/MentalWellness.help/ and,
3. The link to our virtual video conferencing meetings, at which people can sign up (for FREE...all the meetings we offer are for free), at
https://www.meetup.com/mental-wellness-peer-to-peer-support-groups/
4. A video explaining our groups: youtu.be/8rM7Y47KuVc -
Again, here is the group www.MentalWellness.help if you want to speak to a group within 24 hours.
Just remember that you are not alone. As stated in previous shows on mental health, you can also reach out to the following sources:
www.CAMH.ca
-Canada Suicide Prevention Helpline at www.CrisisServicesCanada.ca or call 1-833-456-4566.
-Text the crisis line via SMS 686868.
-Wellness Together Canada at www.ca.portal.gs
-Finally, f you are in crisis now, you can call 911.
For further info, you can reach me at www.JudyCroon.com

Laugh Long & Prosper with comedians Lisa Gay Tremblay & Anna Gustafson

A Holiday Laugh Long And Prosper
Laugh Long & Prosper with Comedians Lisa-Gay Tremblay and Anna Gustafson
Hey there, I’m Judy Croon- Canada’s Keynote Humourist.
Welcome to another episode of Laugh Long and Prosper.
On today's podcast, I speak with two of my good comedic friends; Anna Gustafson and Lisa Gay Tremblay.
Anna is originally from the predominantly Scandinavian town of Lund BC. She now makes her home in Toronto. She's done stand up comedy all over Canada, she has performed at the Just For Laughs festival and she's also done a presentation on Tedx.
As the Comedian in Residence at Gilda’s Club Toronto, Anna is the producer and host of Never Mind Comedy. She also has a supporting role in the startup initiative Gathering for Goodness, and she produces the live, pro, stand-up comedy show "The BETTY" which creates space for sometimes underrepresented pockets of the comedy community.
Lisa Gay Tremblay is originally from Ottawa. She resides in Sherman Oaks, LA. She was elected to the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood council. She’s toured all over. She's performed at Just for Laughs and she’s been on Fox, Showtime and A & E. She’s also had some national commercials running south of the border.
If you would like to reach Anna, her email address is anna@annagustafson.com
http://www.AnnaGustafson.ca Instagram @GooseGustafson
If you would like to reach Lisa, her email is lgpetrus@gmail.com
http://www.LisaGayTremblay.com
Please welcome my good friends, Anna Gustafson and Lisa Gay Tremblay.
Judy Croon is Canada’s Keynote Humorist, Tedx motivational speaker, comedian and stand-up coach at Second City. She has worked with many celebrities including; John Cleese, Jon Stewart, and Joan Rivers.
Her specials have appeared on NBC, CBS, CTV and The Comedy Network.
She is a co-author of ‘From the Stage to the Page: Life Lessons from Four Funny Ladies!”
Judy draws from her standup performance and coaching experience to entertain, inform and inspire in her dynamic keynote entitled, ‘Relieving Work Related Stress with Humour’.
Judy is the creator/host of ‘Laughlines’ and ‘Stand Up For The Girls’ which have both helped raise over $650,000 for breast cancer research.

’Laugh Long & Prosper’ with comedians Cathy Boyd & Lianne Mauladin

'Laugh Long & Prosper' with comedians Cathy Boyd & Lianne Mauladin
Hi there, I’m Judy Croon, Canada’s Keynote Humourist. Welcome to another episode of Laugh Long and Prosper.
Today, I'm joined by two very funny comics, Cathy Boyd and Lianne Mauladin.
Cathy Boyd is a Toronto based brutally honest stand-up comedian whose debut album, Wise Tracks, was released in June, 2020. Known for her dry demeanor and punchline-heavy hitting, her act impresses audiences everywhere. Her most recent notable credit includes an appearance on Season One of Canada’s Got Talent,2022, where Howie Mandell remarked, “You are very funny. You have found your calling.”
She can be heard on CBC Radio, Laugh Out Loud and Sirius XM Radio, Just For Laughs and She’s So Funny. In January, 2019, Cathy was crowned Comedian of the North.
Other notable credits include the Big Sky Comedy Festival in Billings, Montana, Laugh After Dark Comedy Festival in Las Vegas; the Women in Comedy Festival in Boston; New York’s She Devil Comedy Festival finalist; The Boston Comedy Festival; Maine Comedy Festival; Jersey City Comedy Festival-Audience Pick and top three Industry pic and JFL42.
Cathy can be reached at http://www.BoydsOfLondon.com
My other very funny guest is Lianne Mauladin.
The very Canadian, Lianne Mauladin, is known for her comfortable, straight shooting, style of comedy and unique perspective on life.
She’s performed live on ABC's "The View" and her comedy has been recorded and or televised on ABC, Bite TV, iChannel, Sirius XM, CBC and Rogers TV.
Her festival appearances include, the Hubcap Comedy Festival in Moncton NB, LOL Comedy festival in Sudbury, the Frigid Festival in NYC, the Out of Bounds Festival in Austin, Texas, the Women in Comedy Festival in Boston, NXNE in Toronto, the SheDot Comedy Festival in Toronto and more.
In 2021 she released her first album "Late for the Party" produced by Cottage Comedy Digital. Mauladin hosts and produces the monthly Merry-Janes of Comedy Show, the longest running all female stand-up showcase in Canada. The "Merry-Janes of Comedy" road show performs in clubs, halls and theatres around Ontario, including a regular spot at Bare Oaks Family Naturist Resort!
Lianne has further developed her stand-up through classes and workshops at Second City, Boston's Improv Asylum and at the Comedy Bar in Toronto. She is a faculty member at the Second City Training Centre in Toronto. She creates a comic strip for the Bloordale, and the Queen West neighbourhoodmagazines.
Lianne can be reached at http://www.LianneMauladin.com
I can be reached at http://www.JudyCroon.com
Thanks for listening!
Judy Croon is Canada’s Keynote Humorist, Tedx motivational speaker, comedian and stand-up coach at Second City. She has worked with many celebrities including; John Cleese, Jon Stewart, and Joan Rivers.
Her specials have appeared on NBC, CBS, CTV and The Comedy Network.
She is a co-author of ‘From the Stage to the Page: Life Lessons from Four Funny Ladies!”
Judy draws from her standup performance and coaching experience to entertain, inform and inspire in her dynamic keynote entitled, ‘Relieving Work Related Stress with Humour’.
Judy is the creator/host of ‘Laughlines’ and ‘Stand Up For The Girls’ which have both helped raise over $650,000 for breast cancer research.

Laugh Long and Prosper -The Stress Prescription

Hi there, I’m Judy Croon. Canada’s Keynote Humourist Welcome to another episode of Laugh Long and Prosper.
http://www.JudyCroon.com
The Stress Prescription
‘Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.’
-Glenn Turner
Recently, I read a book called The Stress Prescription.
To worry or not to worry – that is the question.
Did you know that in some cases, worrying about a bad thing happening can cause you more stress overall than the bad thing actually happening?
By constantly worrying about an upcoming event, we repeatedly re-live a worst-case scenario when in fact, things work out better than we anticipated.
We also worry about too much that is out of our control.
A new study published in Nature Communications supports this theory. Perhaps you haven’t kept up your subscription of Nature Communications so I will fill you in!
In the study, researchers took 45 volunteers, broke them up into 3 groups and asked them to play a computer game.
In the computer game, the participants would turn over rocks.
Some rocks had snakes underneath them.
In the first group, if a participant found a snake underneath a rock, nothing would happen. Everything would remain the same and the participant would continue to play the game.
In the second group, if the participants found a snake underneath a rock, they were given a small but uncomfortable electrical shock to their hand. Ouch.
In the third group, if the participants found a snake under a rock, they were given a small but uncomfortable electrical shock to their hand, but only some of the time.
All of the participants were measured for stress symptoms which included signs like increased heart rate, pupil dilation and sweating.
Which group do you think showed the most symptoms of psychological stress?
If you guessed the third group (the group of participants who were shocked occasionally) you would be correct.
It turns out that worrying about a bad outcome can actually be worse than the bad outcome itself.
Increased heart rate, pupil dilation and sweating weren’t the only side effects, however. Participants were slower when it came to making decisions. Their overall performance was worse.
This is sometimes known as anticipation stress.
It is hard to convince worriers of this but you are no better off whether you worry or not.
In fact, you might be worse off.
Research has shown that long lasting worry and stress over time can lead to issues like ulcers, heart attacks, cancer and Alzheimer’s, to name a few.
So how do we minimize the stress element when something might or might not happen?
One researcher in the previous study noted:
“What this research implies for us is that telling people what we know is important. Reducing the range and number of things that are uncertain and focusing on what is known will reduce stress even if you can’t completely remove uncertainty. The research also implies that telling people certain bad news (you are going to get an electric shock, or a reduction in sales etc.) is better than leaving people wondering.”
As the study would suggest, knowing that you are always going to get the shock can be better than knowing that you are randomly going to get the shock.
The study also suggests that telling people bad news is sometimes better than leaving them wondering.
Uber apps are a perfect example of relieving people’s minds by giving them immediate information.
Even though, we have no real control as to when the Uber cab is going to arrive and our cab is sometimes late, we still feel better when we can see the little image of the Uber cab driving towards us and the little box beside it with the minutes counting down.
Many public transit systems have electronic boards that tell commuters when buses and trains are going to arrive.
http://www.JudyCroon.com

Laugh Long & Prosper -Humour and Sisters

Laugh Long And Prosper -Humour and Sisters
Sisters share a unique humour. My sisters and I are definitely no exception.
My sister, Debbie joins me on today's podcast as we talk about Connections, Lessons in Chemistry, the Raptors and how to live until you are 100!
Hey there, I’m Judy Croon- Canada’s Keynote Humourist.
Welcome to another episode of Laugh Long and Prosper -shelf help with a dash of humour. Voted one of the best podcasts in Canada last year by CTV.
If you or your workplace is suffering from stress and you need some stress-busting tips along with some genuine fun, ask me about my keynotes & workshops entitled Relieving Work-Related Stress with Humour.’ Or you can ask me about my stand-up comedy coaching at www.JudyCroon.com
Today’s podcast is sponsored by: TROOL Social knows To be visible online you have to be fully committed, congruent in who you are and what you do.
YOU MUST ADOPT THE RIGHT MINDSET-
Steer your ship to the SS Optimization & TROOL Social
To get you Sailing On Course
Check out www.TroolSocial.com
Judy Croon is Canada’s Keynote Humorist, Tedx motivational speaker, comedian and stand-up coach at Second City. She has worked with many celebrities including; John Cleese, Jon Stewart, and Joan Rivers.
Her specials have appeared on NBC, CBS, CTV and The Comedy Network.
She is a co-author of ‘From the Stage to the Page: Life Lessons from Four Funny Ladies!”
Judy draws from her standup performance and coaching experience to entertain, inform and inspire in her dynamic keynote entitled, ‘Relieving Work Related Stress with Humour’.
Judy is the creator/host of ‘Laughlines’ and ‘Stand Up For The Girls’ which have both helped raise over $650,000 for breast cancer research.

Laugh Long & Prosper ’Mary and the Motel From Hell’

Mary and the Motel from Hell
Yes, there is a lot of bad stuff going on in our world and lately it seems like even more than usual. But these are the times that I like to lean on a quote by the incredible sage, Mr. Rogers. He said, ‘’When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’’’
Over the next few podcast entries, I would like to tell you about some of the helpers who work for http://www.CityStreetOutreach.org
http://www.CityStreetOutreach.org is a local outreach program that is a 100 percent volunteer-run, donation- based and all-inclusive registered charity providing food, clothing and assistance to those in need and/ or living in poverty across the greater Toronto area.
I’m proud to say that in a very small way, I am part of this organization. I’m hardly a saint. In fact, I volunteer for very selfish reasons. It has been good for me emotionally, physically and mentally.
In one of my previous podcasts, I told you about Alex and Grace, the co-founders of http://www.CityStreetOutreach.org
In this podcast, I would like to tell you about one of the first volunteers whom I met on the front lines. Her name is Mary. I want to tell you a tale about Mary and the Motel from Hell.
I met Mary on one of the first nights that I volunteered for City Street Outreach a few years ago.
Mary is physically one of the strongest women that I have ever known.
She could pick up 3 cases of water and 2 cases of pet food without blinking an eye.
Meanwhile I was crumbling under one can of cat food.
Mary is incredibly strong in another way. She never asks for help for herself. She always asks for help for others and no matter what you give Mary (big or small), she is always very appreciative. You would never guess the kind of adversity that Mary faces every day because she always greets you with a smile, a laugh and/or a thank you. In spite of her circumstances, Mary is one of the most grateful and positive people that I have ever met.
I remember the first time I took City Street Outreach supplies to the place where Mary lived.
Mary and her family were living in a motel room off of Kingston Road in Scarborough. The place should have been condemned years ago. The owner clearly did not care about her tenants. It was only after a newspaper article shamed the owner and local politicians that the place was finally condemned. Thank goodness Mary and the other tenants were re-located to more humane residences....
http://www.CityStreetOutreach.org
http://www.JudyCroon.com