There’s a reason a good laugh feels like it reaches all the way down to your bones — it’s one of the quickest ways the body remembers joy. In this uplifting and evidence-based episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian explores why laughter matters — from its power to rewire the brain and support heart health to its ability to boost immunity, reduce stress, and even help us “jog internally” without leaving the house.

Blending research and real-life examples, including how comedy found its way back after 9/11, insights from Loma Linda University and Vanderbilt studies, and reflections on Andrea Martin’s Lady Parts, Dr. Bazilian connects humor and healing in ways that feel both relatable and inspiring.

You’ll also experience a mindful minute to smile, breathe, and feel the lightness laughter brings — plus practical tips to “find your funny,” watch something that cracks you up, and even “smile loudly” as a daily health tool.

FROM THE EPISODE

WE DISCUSS:

(00:00) Intro

(1:34) Why laughter matters — emotionally, physically, and socially

(2:47) The role of humor in healing and connection, from 9/11 to everyday life

(5:44) Andrea Martin, Edith Prickley, and Lil Edith P in her memoir “Lady Parts”

(12:13) How science shows laughter can help our brains, hearts, circulation, and immunity

(19:02) A Mindful Minute: breathing, smiling, and softening through joy

(21:04) Practical ways to bring more lightness and laughter into your 1,000 waking minutes

(29:59) Wrapping up and meeting life a little lighter:... “give me the love, give me the stage, give me the laughter”

CONNECT WITH WENDY:

Follow me on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes

Visit my website: wendybazilian.com

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Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey–together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

HEALTH DISCLAIMER:

The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

RESEARCH & REFERENCES

Martin, Andrea. (2014). Lady Parts. HarperCollins Publishers. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/lady-parts-andrea-martin 

Providence Heart & Vascular Team. (2021, April 14). Amazing ways laughter improves your heart health. Expert tips and advice for living your healthiest life. Providence Health Blog. Retrieved September 12, 2021, from

https://blog.providence.org/archive/amazing-ways-laughter-improves-your-heart-health

Berk, R. A. (2001). The active ingredients in humor: Psychophysiological benefits and risks for older adults. Educational Gerontology, 27(3–4), 323–339.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-07072-007 

Miller, M., & Fry, W. F. (2009). The effect of mirthful laughter on the human cardiovascular system. Medical Hypotheses, 73(5), 636–639. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2009.02.044

Pressman, S. D., & Cohen, S. (2005). Does positive affect influence health? Psychological Bulletin, 131(6), 925–971. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.925

Cohen, S., Doyle, W. J., Turner, R. B., Alper, C. M., & Skoner, D. P. (2003). Emotional style and susceptibility to the common cold. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65(4), 652–657. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.PSY.0000077508.57784.DA

Cohen, S., Alper, C. M., Doyle, W. J., Treanor, J. J., & Turner, R. B. (2006). Positive emotional style predicts resistance to illness after experimental exposure to rhinovirus or influenza A virus. Psychosomatic Medicine, 68(6), 809–815. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000245867.92364.3c

Colmenares, C. (2005, June 10). No joke: Study finds laughing can burn calories. Vanderbilt University Reporter. Retrieved November 24, 2025, from

https://news.vumc.org/reporter-archive/no-joke-study-finds-laughing-can-burn-calories/

Wollmer, M. A., de Boer, C., Kalak, N., Beck, J., Götz, T., Schmidt, T., ... & Sönmez, D. (2012). Facing depression with botulinum toxin: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 46(5), 574–581. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.01.027

Magid M, Reichenberg JS, Poth PE, Robertson HT, LaViolette AK, Kruger TH, Wollmer MA. Treatment of major depressive disorder using botulinum toxin A: a 24-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2014 Aug;75(8):837-44. doi: 10.4088/JCP.13m08845. PMID: 24910934. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24910934/ 

There's a reason a good laugh feels like it reaches all the way down to your bones.

It's one of the quickest ways the body remembers joy.

And that's why even a moment of lightness can shift so much more than simply our mood.

We experience 1,000 waking minutes on average every day.

How are you spending yours?

I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and you're listening to 1,000 waking minutes.

I can't wait to connect with you here with practical ways to eat well, move daily and

be healthy to optimize every waking minute you live for a happier, healthier life.

Thank you for sharing some of your waking minutes with me today.

Let's get started.

Hello and welcome to 1,000 waking minutes.

I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and I'm really glad you're here.

As we enter into a season that can hold a bit of everything, full hearts, full calendars,

sometimes full plates, I wanted to spend our time today on something that lifts us easily

and effortlessly, something joyful, something spontaneous and surprisingly scientific.

And that's laughter, real laughter.

It's the kind that bubbles up without warning.

It softens our shoulders.

It softens the edges of a long day.

And it reminds you instantly that you're human and that you're not alone.

In fact, my daughter said before I started recording this episode today,

she said, not even knowing what the topic was, she said,

Mom, let me tell you a joke to get you warmed up.

And then she proceeded to tell me some riddles and jokes.

Among them, "why did the cookie go to the doctor?"

"Because it felt crumb-y!"

And a whole slew more.

She always has them on the top of her head, off the top of her head, on the tip of her tongue.

And it always makes me giggle.

But if you know my work, you know I love science.

And this topic, laughter, it touches something a little bit different.

It's part psychology, part magic, I would say.

And laughter really does touch all three pillars.

Eat well, move daily, be healthy, that you know I love to talk about.

And it's sort of my personal and professional mantra.

It moves the body.

It nourishes the spirit.

And sometimes it even helps us heal what we didn't know needed healing at times.

And as much as humor can be just pure fun, and it should be,

it can also show up in some of the most unexpected places.

One of the most powerful examples, and I say this with deep respect,

but it came to mind as I was preparing today's episode,

is how comedy has over time historically,

but in particular, how it found its way back into the world after 9-11.

What I specifically recall, and I had to look up the dates around it,

I didn't remember that part, but I remember Saturday Night Live and the question about,

is it okay to laugh again?

There were articles written, how is it going to be handled in such a dark time?

Is there room for laughter?

And gently and bravely, as the days progressed, the answer became yes.

And there was a famous opening scene, you could search it online,

just 18 days after the tragic events of 9-11.

And they said yes to laughter.

It wasn't because there were rules of when or how or if,

but sort of because laughter helps us breathe where life presses too hard at times,

where it presses on our chest and it presses on humanity.

And the thing about laughter is that it threads relief of ways, relief of a day.

It just brings out emotion.

And sometimes it threads into places where we need it most.

We see this in everyday life as well.

And recently, like many of you, perhaps,

comedians like Nate Bergetzy have really gotten my funny bone.

With his clean and wry, his everyday humor,

it feels like a friend who's telling a story to me.

And it reminds us how relatable humor can be.

Basically, he shows us that everyday life is hilarious if you look at it in a certain way.

And it connects to so many of our probably own personal moments

or just sort of peering in onto the life of others.

He reminds us how funny small moments, seemingly such small moments in life can be.

As he notices sort of the tiny details that we all live in,

it somehow gets under your funny bone in the very best ways.

It's his timing, of course, his tone, the way he notices those like

tiny human details that we all live in.

It even makes me chuckle just thinking about scenarios and scenes

because it's part of our chemistry.

And it gets under our funny bone in the very best way.

So a friend of mine who happens to be a Tony Award winning actress, Andrea Martin,

and she's a comedian and television, theater, movie actress,

known for her famed early years in Godspell with Martin Short and Eugene Levy,

later in the 70s and 80s with SCTV in Canada in her hilarious roles.

She more recently, you probably know of her as the hilarious aunt

in My Big Fat Greek Wedding movies.

Anyway, she has always had an incredible blend of humor and heart, like a real connection.

And one of her standout characters was Edith Prickley.

And some of you may remember this character.

She was a leopard print wearing big, bold glass character,

sort of a positive force to reckon with.

And a character who's been loved by many people for more than four decades, I guess.

Well, she came to mind this character again,

not too long ago when I was reading Andrea's memoir called "Lady Parts".

And she brought her alter ego, Edith, as Lil Edith P at the end

in a playful nod to her character at the very end of her book.

And she sort of wrapped up the whole book by bringing her to the mic for a rap.

So she wrapped it up with a rap song.

And one of the lines in this sort of poetry slam style rap was,

"give me the love, give me the stage, give me the laughter,

give me the 32 ounce margarita after."

It's silly and smart, but it's perfectly human.

And it's exactly what we're talking about here today.

I love give me the love, give me the stage, give me the laughter in particular.

So today we're going to get a little serious about being silly.

We're going to explore why laughter matters,

what some science shows, I'll give you an ROI on laughing,

and how to bring more of it into our 1,000 waking minutes every day.

Before we get into the science of it, too, I want to start with something simple,

a little story, a historical story, really, about why laughter shows up when we need it most.

I shared this story before, but other examples, even when we're not looking for it,

because sometimes humor sneaks in through the side door, so to speak, at a hard moment.

And says, hey, just breathe for a moment.

Hey, we just need a little respite in how we're handling today.

Other times, it's like human humor, it's laugh out loud, it's little things,

life just trying to be funny.

But the humor that finds us is important.

So let's start with something simple here.

Joy and optimism and lightheartedness, whatever word you choose,

we certainly all need more of it in our life.

And the funny thing, pun intended there, is that humor has been a part of how humanity heals.

I found this interesting when I was doing some research on the impact and effects

and manifestations of humor and laughter, because I always like to have context.

But during World War II, when anxiety and loss were hanging over everyday lives of so many people,

Hollywood flooded theaters with screwball comedies,

sort of like a disconnect that became connected.

Audiences didn't just want an escape, they needed it and they craved it.

And so the theaters for these comedies became full.

Two decades later, at the height of the Cold War, a parody record, remember records, album,

called 'The First Family', was poking gently and poking fun at the Kennedy family.

And it became the fastest selling album in America at the time.

It sort of gave people permission to laugh when the world felt very tense.

And we can remember the first weeks of the pandemic, something very real and recent in

our immediate past, when our sort of social media feeds filled with homemade memes about toilet

paper, all the Zoom mishaps that people were experiencing with their day-to-day lives being

online and on camera, about banana bread and our starters for our sourdough.

None of these funnies solved the crisis, certainly, but it did give us micro-moments

of relief, a little exhale of sort, a type of connection, a type of shared humanity.

So humor doesn't erase the hardships that we face, but it does do something pretty remarkable.

It gives us momentary freedom from it.

Psychologists actually have a name for this.

They call it reappraisal.

It's the ability to see circumstances differently, even briefly.

And this shift can help release tension.

It can improve coping.

And it can literally change the body's chemistry.

So if you've ever laughed through tears or laughed at an awkward moment that feels like

it's a mismatch, you already know that humor can be such a pressure valve for our soul

and our spirit.

And it's one of the ways we turn our surviving into living again, and one of the ways we

can find our way back to ourselves.

So we see how humor shows up in our real life.

Let's take a little look at how and what the scientific evidence suggests, because the

science of laughter is no joke.

Intended there as well, quite literally.

So the returns on investments, the ROI, are benefits to your health from laughter.

I'm going to give you a few reasons and some science to back it.

Number one, laughter rewires the brain.

So at Loma Linda University, my alma mater for my doctoral degree, Dr.

Ronald Berk asked older adults to watch 20 minutes of funny videos while a control

group sat quietly.

Instead, I'd like to be in that funny video group if I was to choose, but this was a controlled

trial.

Anyway, those who laughed, those who were viewing the 20 minutes of funny videos showed

a 43% improvement in memory recall and much lower cortisol levels, that stress hormone.

In short, their brains relaxed, their memory centers lit up, and their learning improved.

How fun is that?

And there's a line that's been widely credited to Stephen Colbert.

I've not found the original source or seen this, but I've seen it credited to him many

times.

But I think that really does ring true here.

He said something to the effect of, "you can't laugh and be afraid at the same time."

And so I think of that in this context, whether or not he said it, but that idea matches what

we see in science.

The brain can't hold both states at the same time.

So when laughter can quiet the stress response, even for a moment, it gives our learning centers

room to wake back up.

Isn't that cool?

So the second ROI is about laughter and the heart.

Researchers at the University of Madrid found that laughter dilates blood vessels, which

improves circulation and helps ease tension.

So it's sort of like cardio exercise that you don't have to schedule and get on the

treadmill for, so to speak.

And in Traditional Chinese medicine, which I've learned a bit about over the years through

my spouse, Jason, who practices in the field, as many of you know, the heart is also linked

to the emotion of joy.

That's a linkage in Traditional Chinese medicine.

And when the emotion flows, vitality follows.

So Norman Cousins, who famously used laughter as therapy and has written some really interesting

books about this, it called this a way to jog internally without going outdoors.

And I mean, I just love that image, a way to jog internally without going outdoors.

I'm going outdoors is great for a multitude of other reasons, but it's sort of like your

body getting a little workout while you're just laughing.

So lace up those belly laughing jogging shoes, I suppose.

It's healthy and it's such an efficient way to help your circulation.

Number three ROI or benefit is that laughter can support our immunity, our immune system

function.

And I've used this in reference to study a number of times over the years, especially

at the time when our immune systems become compromised or it's cold and flu season.

Well, Carnegie Mellon University had research published that showed that people with more

positive emotional styles catch fewer colds, an association.

And when they do, their symptoms tend to be milder.

So in effect, it's sort of like a good laugh maybe won't replace your vitamin C and all

your other great behaviors towards supporting immunity, like sleep and fluids and washing

your hands.

But it might help you catch fewer colds.

And why not?

It's free and it's joyful.

Number four, laughter and weight.

I don't want to oversell this, but maybe a bonus perk.

A Vanderbilt study out of Vanderbilt University found that 10 to 15 minutes of laughter can

burn up to 40 calories.

Now, I don't, you know, hang my hat on how many calories burned for anything as far as

let's just think about calorie burning when we're trying to lose weight.

There's lots of strategies we need to engage.

And no one is saying, especially me, skip the gym or skip your move daily routine.

But 40 calories for 10 to 15 minutes of laughter a day does add up to about four pounds of

metabolism burning credit each year from joy.

That's an easy prescription to take on.

It's like "Rx, have a laugh daily!"... something like that.

And call me in the morning and laugh with me maybe.

And we can help each other out.

And the final benefit is that smiling changes our chemistry.

Even a forced smile, an intentional smile, even if you're not feeling it, can send feedback

to the brain.

Studies on facial feedback have found that people whose frown has been sort of held back

with Botox so that they can't frown down, they reported improved mood.

Not interesting.

The message is like the face talks to the brain and the brain listens to it.

So people who couldn't frown had improved mood.

And also other has shown that there's sort of endorphins released when you smile, when

you actually have that forced smile.

So this is a piece that I think is really important to sort of look at this a little

further.

When we look closely at the research, what we see pretty consistently is that laughter

can create some real and measurable benefits, especially in the short term.

In a well-designed study in the journal Heart, the researchers found improved blood flow and

dilation for about 24 to 45 minutes after a single bout of laughter.

So improved blood flow and vessel dilation for approaching an hour up to an hour.

So while we can't say that it lasts all day, the effects, we can say that even just a few

moments of genuine joy can sort of shift your body's physiology in a meaningful way.

And if we sprinkle those moments throughout our 1,000 waking minutes, laughing here and

there as life offers it, where we can find it for the everyday humor that is life or

moments to be that release valve, these short bursts can build on each other and really

add up.

So we've just spent some time with the science, all the ways lightness and laughter and even

a simple smile, even if it's forced, can shift what's happening inside us.

So let's give ourselves a moment to actually feel that.

And this will be our quiet pause, our mindful minute together that will take an opportunity

in your busy day to reset.

So find a comfortable seat if you're not already in one.

Let's unclench our jaws, open them up, let our shoulders drop, feet square on the floor,

relax.

Let's take a preparatory breath in through the nose, exhale through the mouth.

And I'll talk you through our mindful minute starting now.

So I want you to soften the muscles around your eyes.

Let the corners of your mouth lift just a hint into a smile.

Notice how even that small change can soften your whole body as you continue to breathe.

Imagine that a light laugh sort of sneaks up on you when something unexpected delights

you.

And let it roll through you gently, sort of like a ripple that you see across a still

water or that's moving through you.

Feel your chest open up, your breath lengthen and your body ease.

Take one last slow inhale, exhale with a small smile and that's it.

That's one mindful minute and I hope you're smiling.

As Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us, "sometimes your joy is a source of your smile and sometimes

your smile can be the source of your joy."

I just love that.

Thank you for sharing a Mindful Minute with me today.

Okay, so we're going to turn this all into something you can use now.

We've talked about how lightness can shift our chemistry and now we're going to see how

we can invite more of it into our day.

Not by trying to be funny unless you're naturally so, but making moments and room for those

moments that can lift you.

Joy rarely waits for a perfect setup or the perfect opportunity for a punchline or pun

as I like to insert when it's appropriate or when I think of it, but it usually actually

starts with something small.

It's a pause or a breath, a tiny spark of noticing something that gives you a tickle.

You know, people say tickled pink is sort of that association on that rush when you get

sort of a hit of something that makes you tickled.

Fun, fun, your tickle bone.

So when we build from that place, not pushing, but inviting in and opening a door, laughter

always has a funny way of finding us.

So here is few simple ways to welcome more lightness into your 1,000 waking minutes.

Number one, I call it 'find your funny'.

Think about the kind of humor that gets you.

It's not all the same for all of us.

Is it dry wit?

Is it gentle absurdity?

Is it clever wordplay?

Or is it just full on silliness?

Make a kind of laughter playlist of sorts.

The comedians you like, the shows that never fail you.

I've been enjoying Abbott Elementary lately.

For some reason, it just really gets me chuckling.

I find such humor in the beautifully delivered moments.

Maybe it's sort of that humanness and that reality of moments

sort of extended a little bit to the absurd at times.

Sometimes it might even be like a 10 second Nate Bargett clip

while you're scrolling through Instagram.

It can reset the whole mood.

His everydayness is just such a good reminder that humor doesn't have to be loud

or dirty language to be effective.

That's for sure.

A second tip is watch something that cracks you up.

So this sort of ties into find your funny.

But Norman Cousins, that I mentioned earlier,

famously found that 10 minutes of deep laughter

gave him two hours of pain-free sleep.

He's made associations or made associations

through a very famous book of his called Anatomy of an Illness

of the power of laughter to help mediate pain.

He would watch Candid Camera and the Marx Brothers

until his sides hurt and his pain softened.

You can do the same.

Is it the movie Elf?

Bridesmaids?

Some like it hot.

An SNL clip.

You name it.

Sort of like your joy on demand in watching something that cracks you up.

Third, collect the small stuff.

You know, print cartoons.

We actually get an envelope from my in-laws every week for my daughter

with the funny pages.

We always used to call them the funnies on the weekend.

The color comics.

We get them.

Print cartoons are like tiny masterpieces of perspective on the world

that can often be very, very funny.

And one of my favorite is, you know, the peanut on,

you know, there's a New Yorker cartoon.

I remember it wasn't a color one, but it was a New Yorker cartoon

that was a peanut on a psychiatrist's couch.

And the therapist says, "first off, you're not a nut.

You're a legume."

And every time I see it, I smile because, of course,

it relates to my field when we're talking about tree nuts

and peanuts aren't really a nut, but we call them partly a nut

and they act like a nut.

Every time I see that, I smile.

Sometimes that's all we need is our own connection

in like a small comic or a small something that gets us

that we have that we can look at, whether it's on our phone

or preferably something you can cut out simply

and post or relate to yourself.

The next tip is playing something silly.

You know, adults sometimes forget that play is actually a health tool.

So things like charades, anyone ever laughed at charades

and the funny effort some of us at trying to get people

to guess what we're trying to act?

Or Pictionary, our drawings, all of them are sort of lower stakes games

and they definitely raise the laughter.

Sure, things like Monopoly can end up being funny,

but it's usually where the laughter starts in the games

and the way we connect with each other.

And connection really is the real win here anyway.

And the smiles we get from play.

Another practice that you can do is sharing jokes.

Even a terrible one, even a terribly good one.

A seven-year-old once asked me, and this was, you know, not my own,

but 'How do you make a Kleenex dance?"

'You put a little boogie in it!'

Now, I am in a household that is dealing in jokes

on the regular right now, but these sort of silly jokes,

if you tell one and you tell a second, you tell a third,

you're sure to laugh and crack up over time.

It multiplies the moment when it's shared with others.

Another tip is saying yes to the goofy.

And what I mean is that a friend that I know

painted her face like a cat to go see Cats, an adult.

And by the end of the night, everyone around her

couldn't stop laughing about it, including herself,

because she was doing it to be silly.

It was just outside her comfort zone.

She didn't know whether to do it or not,

but she loved it and she had the paint

and she thought it would be fun and funny.

So she did it.

Another thing outside of the comfort zone is singing.

If you think you sing badly or you don't know the words,

just sing out loud or dance with your pet

or say yes to something that you just really feel like

would make you laugh, but it may not be your forte.

Your body knows what to do with the joy eventually.

And it usually turns into laughter.

Another I'd like to share is what I call 'smile loudly'.

Of course, smiling loudly turns to laughter,

but it's one of my go-to strategies for clients.

And it's something I shared before,

you know, especially when you're dealing with yourself,

you're observing yourself

and you may not be happy in the moment,

but it's sort of taking a pause on some of the activities

and observing your behavior.

When someone is a late night snacker

and trying to break that habit or dealing with cravings,

sometimes they say take a pause.

Well, I always say take a pause,

but what we do next can be a list of a number of things.

Sometimes what we say is take a pause

and make yourself smile

and look at what you're doing and evaluate it,

not judge it, look at it with a smile.

That smile can send a tiny message upward,

as I mentioned in the science,

that something could be funny,

that something good could happen.

Sometimes a one second shift into that

is enough to help you with the whole choice

you're about to make.

So here's your gentle challenge for this week.

I'd like you to find your funny,

notice where it lives,

notice what makes you crack up

and maybe even write it down.

Because joy doesn't erase the hard in our life

and we all know that there's a lot of that,

especially at times it can seem to pile up.

But it does remind us that we're more than

those hard parts or those challenges.

And when life can feel like a lot or really heavy,

you can reach for something that lifts you.

It can be almost like medicine

that you actually want to take

and without side effects except the positive ones.

So maybe it means reaching for a favorite comedy

before bed instead of doom scrolling,

if you know what I mean.

Maybe it's calling a friend who always makes you laugh

in the first 30 seconds that you talk to them.

Maybe it's trying laughter yoga.

That's something that's very real

where you sort of fake laughter

and somehow it becomes real.

There used to be a game we'd play as kids

where we'd all lay down

sort of in a circle,

one head on each other's stomach

and start this ha-ha game.

And I remember we'd end up just roaring with laughter.

And simply smiling at yourself in the mirror

for no reason at all

can help make the moment soften

and make your body feel the chemical release

that I shared earlier.

So joy isn't just luck.

It is actually a practice that can be for your health.

It can help strengthen you

and you can strengthen just with a little practice.

It's a way of choosing to meet the world a little lighter.

So let yourself be a little silly.

That's what I encourage you to do.

Not to avoid life ever,

but to move through with a lighter heart.

As Confucius wrote,

and I had this on a bookmark

that we used to hand out

in a week-long retreat with guests.

Confucius wrote,

"One joy dispels a hundred cares."

Isn't that true?

You know, like something that really brings joy

can sort of push away or let float away

a hundred cares,

a hundred things that might be bugging you

or getting you down.

Joy doesn't deny the cares,

but it refuses to let them have the final say.

And I think that's important.

And I keep thinking about Andrea Martin's

closing in [her book] Lady Parts.

That's why I wanted to bring it to you

and her alter ego rapping,

which in and of itself was really funny,

but saying, "give me the love,

give me the stage,

give me the laughter."

That's funny, but it's also beautifully true.

Love, laughter, and courage

allows you to step into whatever stage you're on,

big or small.

And that's the stuff that makes life feel full.

So wherever you find yourself this week,

your kitchen, your desk, your car,

in between the places of your day,

I wish you, and may you catch a moment of lightness.

Have some laughs, some softer breaths,

and allow that feeling move through you

and your 1,000 waking minutes.

So thank you for sharing some of your minutes

with me today.

And if you'd like to connect more,

and I hope you do,

you can find me at wendybazilian.com.

You can come on Instagram at @1000WakingMinutes.

And I'd be so pleased to interact further.

And I'm so grateful for you being part of this community.

So I'm Wendy Bazilian,

your host and partner in 1,000 Waking Minutes.

And until next time,

be joyful and be well.

Thank you for tuning into 1,000 waking minutes.

A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators,

including our production and marketing teams,

and Gabriela Escalante in particular.

To the ultra talented Beza for my theme music,

my lifelong friend and artist,

Pearl Preis Photography and Design,

to Danielle Ballantyne,

Jen Nguyen,

Joanna Powell,

and of course my family,

and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

And to you, our valued listeners,

I so appreciate your support.

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Until next time,

find some simple opportunities to optimize those 1,000 waking minutes each day.