Laughter Is The Best Medicine For Healthcare Workers

Without a shadow of a doubt, nursing is one of the toughest professions that exists. It is one of the most physically and emotionally draining careers out there. Most assuredly, individuals who go into this career do not do so because of the lightness of the workload and the ease of the day-to-day duties. Quite the contrary, the long hours, strenuous physical demands and the stress and pressure that accompany this field make the everyday duties so very taxing to those who go into this profession. When daily duties involve comforting a young mother battling cancer, treating accident victims, while also being the listening ear to the patient whose family has not yet visited them, emotional burnout is quick to arrive. How then, do we carry on day after day under these circumstances?

It is a known phenomenon that nurses have the greatest sense of humor. It is a proven, successful strategy to combating the physical and mental burdens of the routine care for critically ill patients and the emotional demands of patients and their families. A good sense of humor can ease tense situations not only for the nurse but for the patient as well. A small joke when giving medicine or administering a vaccine can momentarily allow the patient to forget their current situation – a slight relief in the darkest of days.

A good chuckle or laugh offers so many benefits such as soothing tension, activating and relieving your stress response and stimulating your organs through the intake of oxygen-enriched air that occurs. In the famous words of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, “Endorphins make you happy and happy people just don’t shoot their husbands! They just don’t.” As silly as she sounded in that movie, she was correct. Laughter releases endorphins into your brain which instantly starts to alleviate the mood. Therefore, it will help you not only in not killing your spouse but to also have a better outlook overall with all the difficult scenarios you face day after day at work.

Normal Cousins, American political journalist, once said, “Laughter serves as a blocking agent. Like a bulletproof vest, it may help protect you against the ravages of negative emotions that can assault you in disease”. The most interesting thing about this quote is that Cousins actually suffered from a rare condition called ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory disease that can cause some of the small bones in your spine to fuse. His doctor told him that only one in 500 patients recovered. Since Cousins knew his odds were low and the quantity of medication he was taking was so high, he decided to additionally treat himself with laughter therapy. Through years of successful medication and laughter therapy, Cousins lived to see the age of 75.

We should also don the bulletproof vest of laughter every day along with their Personal Protective Equipment. As gloves, gowns and masks are important in preventing contact with diseases, so is laughter! It is understandable that in a job where you face life crisis every single day, you may think it is impossible to lighten up. Do understand, however, that humor is an excellent coping system. Letting off some steam through laughter helps you keep your sanity in the roughest of days.

Sharing stories with your co-workers of humorous situations you encountered throughout the day and finding humor together over things only those in the healthcare field will understand brings connection and levity to your day. Going home and watching a good movie and permitting yourself to full-blown guffaw will help alleviate stressors. If you are not one to watch television and prefer time spent scrolling your phone, use memes and humor online to have some hearty laughter.

Don’t keep all the laughter to yourself though, be sure to share it with your patients and include them in your positive spirit. In the words of Voltaire, “The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease”. Be sensitive to the fear and frustration the patients are currently experiencing with their health diagnosis, but know that when you make a humorous connection with the patient it can lighten the room and allow you to connect with the patient more quickly.

Remember to be mindful of patients who might not understand what you or other nurses are laughing at outside of their door. Be sure to laugh with the patients and not at them. Sharing this will be a benefit for everyone.

As a fellow nurse, I know the care and compassion we give to others every day at work. We face grueling situations that make our days heavy. Using laughter to combat the difficulties in life will bring joy to us, our families and those we work with. Thank you, nurses, for always caring for those around you and your amazing personalities that help us through these difficult times.