Humor is an integral part of human life. A sense of humor can help us cope with negative events and make the best out of tough times. Laughter also boosts self-esteem, relieves stress, and spreads happiness among people.
The importance of humor in the workplace is that it helps to release tension in tense or difficult situations. Humor can be used to diffuse anger or frustration; it’s a way to fight against the seriousness that comes from working too much overtime or being under stress from deadlines.
In this article, we will explore why people like using humor as a defense mechanism whenever they’re put in an uncomfortable position.
How to Use Humor to Laugh Away Stressful Situations
Humor can be a powerful healing tool – it creates a positive environment and is a great way to release tension.
Sometimes, we think of humor as an art form. But sometimes, it can also serve as a release valve for our stress during difficult or stressful times. In stressful situations, humor not only relieves the pain but also reduces the tension.
Below are some tips on how to use humor to laugh away from stressful situations:
-Pay attention to your sense of humor
-Watch a funny video or film
-Listen to a comedy podcast or radio show
-Read humorous books and magazines
-Talk with friends who have similar or great sense of humor
The Link Between Humor and Defense Mechanism
Let’s understand the role of humor in providing a psychological defense mechanism. Defense mechanisms are unconsciously created as a way to make difficult situations more tolerable. They can also be considered as a type of defense, meaning that they reduce the probability of an individual’s mental health deteriorating.
It is safe to say people use humor as a tool for enhancing self-esteem, social acceptance, and providing a sense of control. Humor is also effective in diffusing tension and provides an outlet for aggression. Besides that, it is one of the most popular defense mechanisms that human beings use.
Humor can not only help with chronic illnesses by reducing stress levels and boost mood, it also helps people recover from traumatic experiences, such as physical injuries or psychological trauma, by making them laugh and feel better about themselves
We have defense mechanisms to prevent us from feeling intense emotions like shame, anxiety, and guilt. To do so, we often escape the truth of our reality by creating a false truth or avoiding it altogether. This has been proven to be one of the most effective weapons against pain.
How We Use Humor as a Defense Mechanism
The use of humor in this way can be both helpful and harmful. For instance, if it’s appropriate for the situation, humor can help us feel better. But when it’s used inappropriately, it can make us feel worse.
People often use humor to make light of an uncomfortable situation or say something that would otherwise be too difficult to say. For example, when there’s tension in the room between your two colleague, you can interject by making light of the situation to dismiss the problem before escalating further.
There are times when the situation calls for it, and there are times when humor is used, it can be seen as rude and disrespectful. Always be mindful and read the surrounding before attempting to use any humor.
How to go about defending yourself? In one way, self-deprecating humor is a defense mechanism that allows people to deflect negativity and criticism by making fun of themselves.
Well, depending on your style of humor, when a friend teased you and you didn’t like it, you can either laugh it off and pretend nothing was heard – or you can add on by using self deprecating joke, which would inherently dismiss any awkwardness.
Whether it’s sarcasm, irony, or self-deprecating humor (which is where I like to focus), humor provides an outlet that everyone needs now and then – especially in times of adversity.
Conclusion
Humor is not just an entertainment. It has real cognitive, social, and even medicinal benefits. It has been proven that humor can reduce stress levels by up to 68%. This means that humor can have a positive impact on your health and well-being.
To add further, it has the potential to be so much more than just a defense mechanism for negative feelings. We can also make use of this power to change people’s lives for the better by making them laugh so hard that they forget all their troubles and live in the moment with joy. Overall, there are positive than harm when we laugh daily.