Humor is an excellent way to break the ice and reduce stress during clinical interactions. Clients may feel anxious or afraid if they do not know what to expect from an appointment. Inserting even a small amount of appropriate humor into the initial interaction can put clients at ease and build trust with medical professionals. Clinicians and support staff at Driftwood Recovery use appropriate humor and positivity as a therapeutic tool to develop deeper connections with clients.
How Is Humor a Therapeutic Tool?
Humor can reduce stress, improve positivity, and help clients create a bond with healthcare professionals. Experiencing the physical effects of humor can relieve tension and put clients at ease. Most people know they feel better when they laugh. Individuals with anxiety or depressive disorders may use funny videos or images to help them cope with their symptoms.
Research has proven humor improves mental health. In addition, clients often feel more valued if healthcare professionals take the time to engage with them in a personalized, humorous exchange. According to Health Expectations, in one study, clients felt “humour was important in both establishing their identity and in developing a meaningful therapeutic interaction.”
What Is Appropriate Humor?
Jokes that one person finds humorous, another may find highly offensive. Being mindful of appropriate humor allows healthcare professionals to avoid offending or emotionally harming clients. Many individuals working in high-stress jobs like healthcare use gallows humor, which may not always be appropriate for clients.
Recognizing the line between acceptable and unacceptable humor in a professional setting is essential. Individuals who may not know how to strike this balance may benefit from not initializing humor. Every interaction is unique, and as experts in healthcare build relationships with individual clients, they may become more familiar with that person’s boundaries surrounding humor.
Some examples of generally unacceptable humor in a healthcare setting include:
- Derogatory “jokes” focused on a person’s disability, gender, race, culture, or sexual orientation
- Making light of a client’s symptoms or medical history
- Trauma-related humor about mental health, abuse, or past traumas
- Body shaming “jokes” about a person’s weight, physical appearance, or features
- Any jokes or humor of a sexual nature
- Ageism and humor that belittles individuals based on stereotypes related to age
- Religious or political jokes mocking a person’s beliefs and values
- Gallows humor is often inappropriate during client interactions
- Mocking speech patterns, language barriers, or accents
- Minimizing client concerns by joking about them dismissively
In some cases, healthcare workers benefit from waiting for the client to initiate humor. According to research in the previously mentioned article by Health Expectations, self-deprecating humor is the most commonly recognized and practiced form of humor for clients in healthcare settings. Identifying clients who practice self-deprecating humor and responding appropriately can help clinicians develop meaningful connections.
How to Use Humor as a Therapeutic Tool
If used appropriately, humor can reduce stress on clients during stressful appointments. Humor also helps alleviate some of the perceived power imbalance between the client and clinician. There is no script for using humor. Every interaction is unique, and healthcare workers must consider a client’s cultural and personal views when attempting to use humor to connect with them.
Some of the ways medical professionals use humor as a therapeutic tool include:
- Using lighthearted humor to build rapport with clients
- Easing client stress and anxiety during difficult conversations
- Using humor to lift a client’s mood
- Distracting clients from pain or discomfort
- Encouraging relaxation
- Using lighthearted humor to reframe certain situations and help clients cope more effectively
Clients who feel uncertain about what to expect from clinical professionals may feel more supported and acknowledged if they engage in humorous interactions with staff. Humor humanizes clinicians and fosters collaboration with clients by creating an emotional bridge.
When Is Humor Not Appropriate?
Humor is not always appropriate. Context is vital in determining whether humor may improve or worsen a situation. For example, individuals receiving devastating or emotionally upsetting information from a medical professional may find humor offensive, belittling their pain and invalidating their experience. Knowing when to add humor to a conversation relies on a person’s ability to build strong social skills and effective communication.
How Does Driftwood Recovery Use Humor as a Therapeutic Tool?
Humor gives people a new perspective on their recovery and treatment by highlighting some of the absurdities of life that everyone experiences. Instead of letting it cause anxiety or stress, individuals in recovery can learn to embrace those moments of humor. Driftwood Recovery has created a thriving sober community where individuals in recovery, staff members, and families come together to celebrate successes and support one another. Humor can help people get through setbacks in recovery by allowing them to see things from a more positive perspective. Staff members at Driftwood Recovery use positivity and humor to empower and uplift individuals during treatment and community events.
Humor is a universal experience that can bring people joy and comfort. Finding appropriate ways to integrate humor into client care through scripted or in-the-moment reactions may improve the treatment experience for clients who feel stressed or anxious. Individuals working in healthcare have the unique opportunity to use humor as a way to break the ice with new clients or comfort clients undergoing stressful procedures. By inserting appropriate and culturally sensitive humor into everyday interactions, healthcare professionals can improve treatment outcomes and build stronger client relationships. Driftwood Recovery offers guidance and training for staff members who want to create more meaningful connections with clients. To learn more, call us today at m (512) 759-8330.