Jeannine Luby Creates Connections and Laughter Plan to Start the New Year by Creating Connections and Laughing to Lower Stress at Collaborative Event in Scranton Even if you didn’t make a resolution to incorporate more networking and healthy activity into your days, local organizations in Scranton are collaborating to give you the opportunity to do just that because they know how good it is for you! It is the mission of NEPA Networkers to connect talented people of Northeast PA through events with the purpose of fostering business and career growth so when Laugh to Live owner Jeannine Luby suggested collaborating on an event with them, Bob Courtright, the face of NEPA Networkers and board president, agreed it was a good idea. Luby has benefitted personally and professionally from attending various business mixers hosted by NEPA Networkers and thought laughter would be a good addition to networking and coffee and came up with “Laugh A Latte,” an event being hosted on Wednesday, January 8 at 8:30AM at Urban Co-Works at 116 N. Washington Ave. in downtown Scranton, on the third floor. The purpose of this event is to provide people with a unique opportunity to connect and experience a sampling of brain-boosting, stress-relieving laughter over coffee and light refreshments in the modern co-working space that is Urban Co-Works. Anyone interested can also receive a tour of the facility. Luby hopes that people take advantage of this opportunity to boost brain function and mood and lower stress and anxiety and get inspired to think about wellness options for employees, volunteers clients, etc. in their organization. She said, “According to the American Psychological Association’s 2023 “Work in America Survey,” 77% of U.S. workers reported experiencing work-related stress in the past month, with 57% stating that this stress negatively impacted their health, highlighting a concerning level of workplace stress. Stress is costly–both personally and professionally. But we know from a multitude of studies that laughter can help us to lower the stress hormone cortisol, boost the ‘feel good’ hormones of endorphins and oxytocin, and provide several other wellness benefits, so my question is, ‘Why aren’t we laughing more? ” The Laugh A Latte event on January 8 is free to the public. Reach out to Jeannine at Jeannine.Luby@gmail.comwith any questions and to RSVP.
Jeannine Luby Warms Up Scranton Residents with Laughter The temperature hung around 29 degrees but the sunshine and laughter made it feel much warmer when the Connell Park Walking Club gathered on the last Saturday in November. Jannine Luby’s businesses, Laugh to Live, a Scranton-based business, collaborated with Valley in Motion’s Connell Park Walking Club to provide stress-lowering laughter yoga before the Club’s weekly walk around the park. With a lot of breathing in and out, clapping and chants of ho ho ho, ha ha ha and hee hee hee, it didn’t take long for the group to connect, smile and experience the many researched benefits of laughter. Some of the benefits are: healthier blood flow, lower cortisol (stress hormone), boosted endorphins (hormone that helps to manage pain and improve mood), lower blood glucose and more. Gus Fahey, president of Valley in Motion that supports the walking club project said, “The laughter yoga on Saturday was great. It was awesome the way Jeannine kept up the enthusiasm on a cold morning!” Luby was happy to see share laughter yoga with the small group who gathered so they could understand how valuable laughter can be as a resource for self-care and overall well-being, especially at this time of year when we tend to set high expectations and busy schedules. “It’s important that we hit the pause button on our running around and on all of the noise that is out there on social media. It can feel overwhelming. Sometimes we can help ourselves by simply taking a few deep breaths. Add belly laughs and you’re helping yourself recharge to face those long to-do lists.” If you’re interested in healthy activities to lower your stress and anxiety and to boost overall wellness, follow the Connell Park Walking Club on Facebook for their walk schedule and follow Laugh to Live on Facebook for live daily morning laughter yoga throughout the month of December.
Jeannine Luby to Help Celebrate National Humor Month by Raising Fun and Funds Laugh your stress away at Jeannine Luby’s, aka Funny Wine Girl’s stand-up comedy show on Friday, April 26 at Groove Brewing in Scranton. The show will feature Luby, one of NEPAs funniest Mary Rapach, and NEPA native Tim Conniff. You can feel good not only from the laughter but from knowing that a portion of proceeds will benefit the Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Crisis Intervention Team that offers training and programs for area first responders with the following goals: improving interaction between law enforcement and persons with mental illness; preventing the inappropriate restraint, incarceration, and stigmatization of persons with mental illness; reducing injury to officers, family members, and individuals in crisis; and linking individuals with mental illness to appropriate treatment and resources in the community. Ticket price of $30 includes comedy show and contribution to fundraiser. Beverages at Groove Brewing are sold separately. Purchase your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/850113691937?aff=oddtdtcreator
Jeannine Luby Presents Grant to Boys and Girls Clubs of NEPA The Humor Therapy Fund of the Scranton Area Foundation is a donor-advised fund that was initiated in 2006 by Jeannine Luby, owner of Laugh to Live, as part of a graduate project at Marywood University. The fund was created with the purpose of promoting therapeutic laughter and humor throughout the greater Scranton area, which Luby says is needed now more than ever. Each year a grant is dispersed to a local 501c3 nonprofit organization and this year that recipient is the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania who will use the funding to bring in the award-winning ‘Josh and Gab’ kindness and bullying-awareness musical comedy program that focuses on healthy choices, creativity, and community. Pictured in photo from left are Angel, Tricia Thomas, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Northeastern Pennsylvania; Jeannine Luby, owner of Laugh to Live & donor adviser of the Humor Therapy Fund of the Scranton Area Foundation, and Willow.
