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JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT
COULDN'T GET WORSE....LAUGH!
Well, it finally happened. It’s happened many times figuratively, but
last Saturday it happened for real.
After taking my 18-month-old grandson Eli to the park, we stopped by the
nursing home to visit my Mom. Eli chose that moment to express his
independence in the middle of the hall, balking in loud and no uncertain
terms about going in any direction other than the one he chose.
Now, over the years I have taught many parents what to do when a child
has a tantrum. You ignore the little darling. But what if that child
is blocking the hall where elderly people are creeping by on unsteady
feet or in wheel chairs? And what if you fantasize that people are
looking at you like, “So the psychologist can write about it and teach
about it, but can’t do it!”
Juggling cell phone, an open Diet Coke, keys, and various other small
items, I picked the young rebel up under my arm like a sack of potatoes
and headed out. He was kicking and screaming, and I felt like doing the
same thing.
Just as I stepped off the porch, I felt a large “splat” on my head.
“It’s started to rain,” I thought. I was wrong. Dead wrong. I guess I
should be thankful it wasn’t an entire flock just coming from a big
dinner in a green apple tree!
Ever have a day, or a week, or a month like that? Shampoo was one
aspect of the cure for my stress, but not the best one. In my opinion,
the best part of the remedy was LAUGHTER.
WORKPLACE STRESS
The International Labor Organization has estimated that work stress
costs employers more than 200 billion dollars a year. Further, the
World Health Organization has reported that about ¾ of people who seek
psychological help have symptoms that relate either to the lack of job
satisfaction or the inability to relax.
I am convinced that one of the most important productivity tools in the
workplace is humor. Finding the humor in the daily chaos and sharing a
laugh with others is a powerful antidote to the pervasive stress that
can diminish morale and wreak havoc in work relationships.
When I describe humor as a productivity tool, I can hear my third grade
teacher’s voice in my head, saying, “Beverly, stop playing and get to
work!” Implied in her scolding voice is the erroneous notion that work
and play are opposites. In fact, the research supports the fact that
play (humor, laughter, and fun) makes people better workers. They’re
more open, creative, and cooperative.
Let’s examine five reasons that laughter is the best workplace (and
personal) medicine.
HOW HUMOR HELPS
When you are able to find humor in a difficult situation, you gain
perspective. It pulls you out of the muck and gives you a sense of
control.
I often consult with healthcare organizations. An ER team I was working
with had a particularly stressful Saturday night – a heart attack, a
multiple-car auto accident, and a gunshot wound - and it wasn’t even
8:00 o’clock.
All of a sudden, a man in his 30’s burst through the doors, yelling,
“Help! Papa’s not breathing!”
The ER staff rushed to the car where Papa lay in the back seat. Quickly
they got him onto a stretcher and rolled him into the trauma room. They
continued to “code” him, working feverishly and searching in vain for a
response from some vital sign. Finally, they realized, Papa could not
be revived.
The doctor called the large family together to break the sad news.
“We’re very sorry. We did all we could. He’s gone.”
Wails went up from the family crowd. Mama’s knees buckled, and as she
fell backward, her two sons caught her.
“Oh, my God,” she cried, “That’s what they told us at the other
hospital, too!”
Gives a whole new meaning to the term second opinion, doesn’t it?
Laughter gives immediate stress relief. It stimulates the release of
endorphins, the brain’s natural stress-reducing chemicals.
Mark H. McCormich, the premier sports business manager and author of
“What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School” said, “Laughter
is the most potent, constructive force for diffusing business tension.
If you can point out what is humorous or absurd about a situation or
confrontation, you will be guaranteed the upper hand.”
The evidence for the health benefits of laughter abounds in the research
literature. A good old-fashioned laugh does all kinds of wonderful
things for your body. Here are a few of them:
King Soloman in the book of Proverbs said, “A merry heart does good like
a medicine.” The medical studies back this up.
The person who laughs, lasts.
I was doing a program in San Diego. I was about to get on the elevator
when I passed a man pushing his screaming, crying son in the stroller.
This baby was red-faced and was announcing to all the world that he was
a force to be reckoned with. I said to no one in particular as I passed
by, “Somebody’s not very happy.”
His dad answered, “Yeah, and the baby’s upset, too!”
We shared a laughing ride in the elevator, and the mood was totally
changed. Even the little screamer calmed down.
Victor Borge said, “Laughter is the shortest distance between two
people.”
Laughter sweeps away the anxiety and therefore frees concentration and
creativity. Loosening up with a couple of chuckles sharpens thinking
and releases inhibitions…both ingredients in great brainstorming, moving
beyond the obvious, and creating innovative solutions to problems.
In his book, “Treating Type A Behavior and Your Heart”, Dr. Meyer
Friedman concludes: “The person most effectively protecting himself
against the continued progress of coronary artery disease is the person
willing to see himself and his affairs as ludicrously unimportant in the
planetary scheme of things.” When you can laugh at yourself… · you take the sting out of what others say; · you become easier to deal with and much more likeable; · you both appear and become more confident and self-assured;
· you gain control over things that embarrass you.
I’ve made a pledge to laugh at myself more. Join me, won’t you, in
taking your work seriously, but never taking yourself seriously?
Laughter
is like changing a baby’s diaper. It doesn’t permanently solve
problems, but it surely does make things more acceptable for a while. Contact us to obtain
permission to reprint this article in your publication. Please include
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