Humour as a Coping Method
Making jokes and laughing till the troubles go away
One of my favourite things about my generation is that the vast majority of us use humour to cope with our problems. We make jokes about things that aren't funny, but laughing at the situation makes it easier for us to deal with it. I absolutely love that this is so widely spread and accepted, although out of context it can definitely make you sound like you're out of your mind.
I'm not a psychologist, so I'm not gonna pretend that I can back this up with actual theory. I know that for myself, making fun of something bad that's happened or currently is happening makes whatever it is less scary and intimidating, and it kind of allows me to take back the control. If you can make fun of it, you're showing that you're stronger than it, tackling the issue face to face and letting it know that you're more powerful. Instead of allowing it to weigh you down you make it clear that you're the boss of your own life, and that you can deal with obstacles.
Another reason I love making jokes about something as a coping method, is that it becomes easier to talk about. The more something is brought up in conversations, the more "normal" it becomes and the easier it gets to talk about. Never talking about something makes it harder to just bring it up out of the blue, and it's also hard to start a conversation that isn't about a fun topic. Exposing your feelings through humour is a great way to start, cause it's so so important to talk about the hard things too. If you have something you need to talk about with someone but you're unsure as to how you bring it up or you start the conversation, laughter is a great way to do it.
I'm glad to see that so many people find comfort and get through things that happen to them more easily by using this coping method. At the same time, it's important not to stop there. Cracking jokes is great for putting the topic more out there and making it easier to bring it up, but it stills needs to be dealt with. You still need to talk about your issues properly. Don't just laugh at them all the time, that could just end up with you building a wall and pushing everything further back. And as many of us have experienced, pushing your feelings away doesn't help in the long run, and you're gonna have to deal with them eventually anyway. You're gonna feel so much better if you get whatever you're struggling with off your chest and deal with it sooner rather than later. This is easier said than done, but using humour really helps the process move along!
Of course, different situations require appropriate reactions, and laughing at something or making jokes right away isn't always the right thing to do. For really, really bad things that happen, you might need to find another coping method. It's also important to keep in mind that just because it works for you, doesn't mean it works for everyone. Be careful when the situation is about someone else, and don't make jokes before they do it themselves. You really don't wanna offend anyone by doing this.
I hope you're all doing okay out there, and if not, pop a joke followed by a nice, long conversation with someone you care about. :)
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About the Creator
Tone Breistrand
Hi there! I am a Norwegian writer living in London. I like to write about love, Disney and finding happiness.
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