Find humor in your sadness

Humor in therapy

Find humor in  your sadness today throughout the day!  I once told my students that I feel like my lectures are a stand-up comedy routine. Sometimes, I even succeed. I once read that all comedians have underlying depression. I think that there is a lot of wisdom in that observation. Here’s my take on humor in therapy.

Avoid Sarcasm

The danger in empathic humor is that it appears as sarcasm. Sarcasm in response to tears and sadness is cruel.  Startling, yes but there’s always a danger that a person may feel judged, misunderstood, and misjudged. Done correctly, there is laughter and relief. At times, I feel like a stand-up comic. But isn’t that disrespectful? Like I said, that’s the danger. But sometimes, things are so painful that laughter is the only option.  So, what’s next?

Find Laughter and Joy

 Join through laughter.  The key is to laugh with a person.  Personally, I think that I should be able to smile with someone within one minute after meeting them.  That includes checkout stands at Costco where employees are usually busy with little time for smiles or humor.  Masks make it hard to see the smiles.  So, I join people with mumbles.

Find Humor in Stillness

 Do you know how hard it is to be quiet?  It’s even harder to find humor in your sadness when you are caught up in swirling and racing thoughts.  It’s hard work when you try to not work.  Huh?  When people try to tell themselves that they should be still and not work, it begins to resembles rigorous exercise at a gym.  My muscles ache at the thought.

 Go to Sleep while Smiling