Joyologist nominated for National Speaking Award

Joyologist Pat Armitstead nominated for National Speaking Award

Pat Armitstead, the world's first Joyologist has been nominated for Best Nationwide Professional Speaker in the Corporate Events Guide annual event to celebrate the speaking and events industry. Armitstead is the recipient of many other awards, one being speaker of the year for the National Speakers Associaition NZ. She has also won 11 advertising awards including the Northwards NSW Tourism Awards.

A Registered Nurse for 16 years in Australia and running her own small ad agency for 7 years she has lived in NZ for 12 years.

Pat says " You can't lift your bottom line if your people are down" and is committed to turn around depression rates around the world. An advocate for all that is joyful about humanity she has her own radio program " Radio Improv- Joy in the moment" and was the founder of NZ's Humour in Business Awards.

Pat speaks now on how to use Positive Psychology ( tongue in cheek, she calls her application Joychology) in business and life supporting people to lead a happy, engaged and meaningful life, irrespective of current circumstances. She conducts wellbeing programs supporting people to achieve to achieve balanced lives and organisations to achieve maximum productivity by supporting individuals and teams to work to optimum. She has been conducting her Stress Management course at Auckland University for 6 years. She conducted 2 pilot programs in aged care 9 years ago using humour and the Multiple Intelligence work of Professor Howard Gardener of Harvard University creating what she believes was the most extensive and varied activities program in aged care in NZ.

A major componant of her programs is the applied use of improv acting skills to support people to be present and trust first thought. She says "so many people are held back by doubt in their own ability yet it sits right there at the forefront of their consciousness, if only they would allow it expression". Pat presented at the first Australian Humour and Wellbeing conference and says it is not about being funny all the time but it is about being good humoured. To be good humoured is to be appropriately responsive. When we come from that place people feel heard and appreciated and are far more likely to apply themselves with passion and vigor.

Pat also conducts a Good Grief program, supporting people to move through grief and loss and find a new place to stand in spite of their losses. A componant of this program is devoted to the creation of a cast body part that is then made into a piece of art using symbolism to add meaning.

ENDS

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