A powerful tool to liven up any evening or brighten up a cloudy day. Humor as therapy is a fundamental tool.
Last update: July 04, 2019
Humor is one of those elements that naturally helps us reduce stress. Big problems stop looking so big, and people who might be intimidating us no longer seem so influential. It is a powerful tool to liven up any evening or brighten up a cloudy day. Humor as therapy is a fundamental tool.
Although we often associate it with leisure and recreation, science has shown that in some situations it can help improve the results of a therapy or intervention. It is a state of mind that, at certain moments, can even overcome dynamism. When used within a communication, humor can generate or strengthen trust between the practitioner and the patient / client.
When we laugh, we get the following effects:
- The brain's reward circuit is activated and the body releases endorphins and dopamine, which are hormones related to well-being and happiness.
- Thanks to the action of dopamine and endorphins, the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, are reduced.
- The muscles relax, especially those of the face.
- Increase the feeling of tranquility and security.
- Feelings of pleasure and relaxation distract us from problems and worries.
Professor Heidi L. Fritz of the University of Salisbury has devoted much of her professional career to studying the relationship between humor and stress. The results of her studies reveal that the more humor a person has, the less stress they are subjected to.
Beyond laughter, humor as therapy
The most visible consequence of humor is laughter, but there are others as well. When used in therapy, it should not be confused with a lack of seriousness, with irony, or with a mood in which euphoria takes over.
Its real usefulness lies in giving us a different point of view: it acts as one of those mirrors that deforms images. It gives us the possibility of having other filters with which we can perceive and process information in a different way.
We can say that humor is about happiness, even when we are surrounded by adversity. For a moment, he is able to stop the flow of negative thoughts. A short period of time, but it is enough to break the circle in which we are trapped and which feeds bad thoughts.
The challenge of the professions most emotionally involved
Health workers working in emergency situations, police officers or firefighters have to face very complicated situations every day. Voltage levels can be very high. This situation causes their work to often become the cause of emotional imbalances.
The difficulties they face are increased by the involvement of other people in the situations they face. An example would be a doctor who works in an emergency and has to make important decisions in a short amount of time. Often, without having all the information about the injured person, he has to decide how to intervene, risking causing more serious problems. Moving or not moving a person at a certain time can save their life or cause paralysis.
In these cases, once the decision is made, a little humor can help reduce stress levels before the next tense moment.
The fundamental role of humor as therapy in emergencies
Humor as a therapy can be of great use in emergencies. In these contexts we can identify:
- A humor used as a tool to improve one's health in the short and long term. It allows us to overcome unpleasant situations and avoids making us fall into despair. It helps us to overcome unpleasant circumstances by mitigating their consequences.
- Humor as a tool for relating to work colleagues. In stressful situations, complicity between group members can play an important role in improving performance and cooperation. Furthermore, the climate of trust that it generates will allow us to later express the emotions felt.
- Humor as a tool for establishing a relationship with patients / patients. For example, when a person is in a very stressful situation and cannot do anything about it. This is the case of someone who has called an ambulance and is waiting for his arrival. A little humor can serve as an emotional "lifesaver".
Humor is good when you take context into account
In certain situations it is useful to use humor to relieve tension; in others, it is preferable to avoid it. It must be taken into account that people are unique, as well as the circumstances in which they find themselves. You have to constantly adapt to a dynamic environment and understand if you need to make a joke or not.
To generate the effects described above, humor must be used intelligently, with empathy and with respect. If not, it can be very counterproductive. If in doubt, use it lightly and see how others react.
If used intelligently, it can be an excellent ally both in and out of therapy. Using humor with intelligence means knowing how to adapt it to various situations. Basically we are talking about a type of communication that we can have at work or in everyday life.
