Humor As Therapy To Release Stress
The humor could brighten up every evening or brighten up a day in the misty sky. It is a fundamental tool as a therapy.
Although associated with entertainment and free time, science has shown that in certain situations, humor can be an adjunct that helps improve the outcome of an intervention. It is an ingredient which makes that in the same situation, a certain moment can be charged with dynamism. At the same time, this form of communication can generate or promote trust between a specialist and a patient.
It is certain that when we laugh, we experience the following effects:
- The brain reward circuit is activated. Endorphins and dopamine are then released; of hormones related to well-being and happiness.
- The levels of the stress hormone cortisol are reduced by the action of dopamine and endorphins.
- The muscles relax, especially the facial muscles.
- The feelings of tranquility and security increase.
- The feeling of pleasure and relaxation keeps us away from problems and concerns.
In addition, Professor Heidi L. Fritz of Salisbury University has dedicated much of her professional career to studying the relationship between humor and stress. The results of her study claim that the more a person has a sense of humor, the lower the stress levels they will experience.
Beyond laughter, humor as therapy
While the most visible consequence of humor is laughter, other consequences do exist. Also, humor as therapy should not be confused with lack of seriousness, nor with irony or a moral state in which euphoria takes control.
Its real usefulness lies in the fact that it gives us a different point of view. It acts like a mirror which distorts the images. At the same time, it can signal the possibility of adding changes in the filters that we use to perceive and process information.
We can say that humor shines through happiness even when adversity surrounds us. For a moment he is able to hold the fluid of negative thoughts, a second which is often enough to break the circle in which we are immersed and which feeds us.
The challenge of the most emotionally intense professions
Health professionals who work in emergencies, police officers or firefighters are confronted daily with very complicated situations where the voltage peaks can be very high. This assumes that their work often turns into a trigger for emotional imbalances.
The harshness of these situations lies mainly in the involvement of other people and the adversities they experience. For example, a doctor who works in an emergency room has to make important decisions in a very short period of time. Often, he has to act without having all the information about the injured person’s problem and therefore has to assume the risk of worsening his injuries. Whether or not moving a person at a given time can cause paralysis or save their life.
In these cases, the use of humor can help lower stress levels once the decision is made and before the next moment of tension arises.
The Crucial Role of Humor as Emergency Therapy
The great utility of humor as therapy in these contexts can be divided as follows:
- Humor as a tool for short and long term health and engagement. This makes it possible to overcome the lack of aesthetics, to normalize the harshness of situations and to avoid despair. It helps to take control of the situation by mitigating its impact.
- Humor as a tool for communicating with colleagues. The complexity of stressful situations between members of a work team can play a particularly important role in performance and cooperation. In addition, the climate of confidence that it generates facilitates the expression of emotions at later times.
- Then, humor as a tool for the relationship with patients / affected people. This is the case, for example, for a person who finds himself in a very stressful situation facing which he can do nothing. This is the case, for example, when we call an ambulance and wait for it to arrive, humor can act as an emotional “lifeline”.
Humor is useful when it is adapted to the context
It is important to use humor in situations where it can help relieve tension. On the other hand, it is better to abstain when it can contribute to increase the tension. We are unique, just like the circumstances around us at all times. This assumes constant observation and adaptation in a very dynamic environment.
Thus, the use of humor as an element can generate all the effects described, it supposes to show intelligence. We must give importance to moments based on empathy and respect. Otherwise, it can be very counterproductive. On the other hand, when in doubt we can use humor in a softer way, adapting to the feedback that others send us.
Humor, in the field of therapy and beyond, is a very powerful ally when we use it intelligently. This means that we are using it in a way that is appropriate for the situation. Basically, we are talking about a style of communication, a style of work, a style of life.
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