Breakaway Laughter: How to Lighten Up Despite it All

Nan L. Crockett
VanderWyk & Burnham (2005)
ISBN 1889242225
Reviewed by Lynn Downs for Reader Views (2/07)

Have you ever had a day where nothing seems to go right? You get up late because the alarm didn't go off, your toast is burnt and the traffic congestion causes you to be late to work again - and that's just in the first two hours. We all have days like this and the stress associated with everyday living is such a common occurrence in our lives that we manifest it into physical and mental ailments.

I was having just one of those days when I picked up Nan Crockett's book “Breakaway Laughter.” It was just the prescription I needed to help conquer the stress in my life.

Nan introduces us into her hectic, hilarious life which is so much like many of our own. She is the divorced, single mother of two boys, Gabe and Carter, who keep her on her toes. Through the stories of their antics, she teaches us some of her simple remedies for stress reduction. Nan shows us how to look at unforeseen events using the E.A.R.R. Acronym: E = the event, A = our assessment of the event, R = our reaction of the event and R = the results of our reaction. She emphasizes that the most important of these is our assessment. We can be pessimistic (This is just terrible!), optimistic (Oh well, things happen) or have fun with it (This is really funny! I can't wait to call my best friend and tell her about it!).

Laughing and taking things lightly are the key to Nan's approach at life. When I started this book, one of my children had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder. I was devastated and his behavior was causing me more stress than I had ever felt in my life. I sat down with “Breakaway Laughter” and chuckled through my tears. This book has taught me to "lighten up" and see the funny side of life.

“Breakaway Laughter” is a book that any one can relate to. We see ourselves and our family in Nan and her children. She is one of us and maybe she has found the answer to living a more fulfilled, stress-free life. We can harbor pain, anger, sorrow and grief, or we can let them go and live a life filled with laughter and love.

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