Articles by Pat Armitstead
INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED Speaker and Expert on Humour and Positive Psychology Authority On Joyful Empowerment RADIO PRODUCER AND AUTHOR Planet FM “Find your Joy” Book “Humour Works” CREATOR OF International Humour in Business Awards The Worlds first Joyologist, Pat Armitstead, presented a workshop at The Australian and New Zealand Humour, Health and Education Conference, held on 27-29 October 2006 at the University of New England Armidale, Australia. An Australian who has been living in New Zealand for ten years she says she was delighted to be invited to contribute to the program themed “Laughter, Wellness and Engagement, Connecting the Comedy Dots. New Zealand’s leader in the Science of Positive Psychology and Humour in the Workplace, she has a CV that’s not to be laughed at! Included in her giggliography are some ground breaking achievements, testimony to her ability to successfully combine her business acumen, creativity, and wit. In 2006 she hosted New Zealands first Humour in the Workplace Award. Initially a NSW Registered Nurse she worked for 16 years in Education and Management roles and was part of the group of nurses in NSW that took nurse education out of hospital based training and into Universities. In 1989 she founded her own Advertising Agency, Take One Productions and won many awards including the NSW Northwards Tourism Award, Media Section and an award from Cacharel in Paris. She has presented over 11,000 hours of keynotes, workshops, seminars and lectures reaching an astounding 55,000 people throughout Australasia. She says” I am a voice for all that is joyful abour our humanity” and has presented over 600 humour based programs in the last 8 years. These include keynotes at conferences, her Stress, Humour and Health program at Auckland university, and her Humour, Engagement and Wellbeing courses. The first “honours graduate’ from her own Humour-versity, the Department of Humour Resources, she is not fazed by the World Health Organisation statistics that predict depression will be world health burden number 2 by 2020. She says we can bring people to an awareness of the role that pessimism and optimism play through the development of high trust environments that foster intimate communion. Pat uses a unique combination of Joyaudit©, Joyprogramme, Joycoaching© and Joyevents© to achieve specific objectives, improvements and outcomes in business and in life. . These strategies utilise humour and positive psychology as Joyagents to produce Joystates. As a result the workforce is energised and motivated, individual and group confidence is elevated, and morale and team spirit is reinvigorated which creates a new model for ongoing harmony and unity. Her clients in NZ include Coca Cola Amatil, Royal Australasian Society of Paediatricians, Fairfax ltd, The Diversional Therapists Association, Child Heart Foundation, Bayleys Real Estate, Fertility NZ, Martin Personnel, Fairfax Ltd, Epiphany, National OSH Society, Arthritis Foundation, Professionals Real Estate, Mercy Hospice, Carich NZ, University of Auckland, IAL, The Mental Health Association Workforce, and Lupus Trust. She has also coached many people through adversity, transforming their lives using her inque combination of methodologies. She has a weekly radio program called Find your Joy on Auckland radio Planet FM 104.6 and has appeared on National Television and been featured in many magazines and newspapers. She was President of the National Speakers Association NZ 2001, The Most Awarded Speaker at the 2000 NSANZ Convention and 2002 NZ Speaker of the Year. She has convened two International Conventions for the National Speakers Association of New Zealand and has toured internationally with Dr Patch Adams. Her first book, is called Humour Works and she features in 2 others, Silver Linings on the Long White Cloud by Chris Dodds, and Woman 2 Woman, Amanda Ellis and June McCabe. She has 2 other books in process. She is a trustee on the NZ Centre for Compassion in Healthcare, a Member of New Zealand Association of Positive Psychology, a Member of The International Humour Foundation and The Australian Centre on Quality of Life
“ There is a large amount of evidence from the academic research to support the idea that if organisations nurture psychological well-being (PWB) in their workforce it will bring tangible bottom-line benefits. At …
Thats what The Joyologist says can happen when you use the art of improv to get present!!
When you are present you are not stressed and you are in a place of peace and acceptance of …
What on earth has redundancy got to do with pyjamas? And more importantly, how can the notion help your business operate? Well, let me explain.
With the advent of the industrial revolution came radical change …
A process of creation, reverence and profound intimacy with the physical being of human form.
Led by Joyologist Pat Armitstead you will engage in storytelling, artistic representation, explore symbolism and then …
Once upon a not so joyful time the Joyologist had lost her home, her business, had cancer, 2 lots of surgery , and …
believe it or not 10 car accidents in …
No prescribing rights required!
With an impish grin Pat Armitstead said, “This is not a bitter pill to swallow and most interestingly, no prescribing rights are required! As a non-chemical alternative to Prozac it …
If success is measured in financial terms, then Success = Productivity + Profitability.
This is ‘an effective and simple approach …. You can take this process and use it in any application, be …
The Banana Coast Credit Union .
Sounds like an ordinary kind of bank ….if you live in banana growing county
But this was no ordinary bank. Or perhaps to clarify things….. this was no ordinary Bank …
Once upon a time, back in around 2001, I applied for a job with Jim Gilchrist from Team One. Some of you may know Jim.
Jim said to me, very kindly ” I love you Pat …
My best seller sold 5000 copies in under 6 weeks !!!
Remember last week I told you about the joint advertising I co-ordinated during a similar recession in Australia, getting 400 businesses to collaborate in a …
Planetaudio 104.6FM 7.20pm Tuesday nights
http://www.planetaudio.org.nz/program.php?languageid=14
Search ” Find your joy” or go to ” English” then “health” and Find your joy comes up
On Find your Joy, Pat Armitstead offers an integrated approach to managing depression, grief …
A very successful Australian Brad Cooper told me once…”Wanna make an omelette? You gotta crack a few eggs!”
Last week I wove a story of a degree of success with my previous business, Take One …
Astound the World in Ninety Days …
Once upon a time, in Australia, in November 1989, there was an enormous crash (well, that’s a figurative term, as I have actually not been one to quietly begin …
The following story to me is a prime example of how intention and collaboration work.
Over three years ago I moved to Whangaparaoa and joined an arts group called The Arts Foum Inc.( TAFI). The intention …
We are experiencing a new wave of connection that is going to herald the way we do business from here on ! This new and positive way is contributing to both individual and team productivity as the following demonstrates. A productive workplace is created when we can engage with others in such a way that we support people to improve enthusiasm and morale, boost their individual performance and optimise their attitude. This degree of connection or engagement contributes to improved personal work satisfaction, creates a sense of belonging, and renewed confidence around engaging with others. This is across the board and includes peers, managers and clients alike.
The degree to which we can achieve this is based on our capacity to remain good humoured in the face of the life events that shape our experience. I should insert here I believe to be good humoured is to be appropriately responsive.
