Humor can assist us in finding emotional balance. Studies show that humor can literally reduce anger, relieve stress, and release tension. For example, while I was coaching at a local corporation I made a tea-run to the cafeteria each morning. To increase the healthy benefits of this ritual, I’d take the stairs from the ground level cafeteria back up to my office. One morning as I was trekking up, hot tea in hand, a young co-worker was ahead of me with his fresh brewed coffee. He caught the toe of his shoe on the lip of the step and started to stumble. His valiant and successful effort stopped the fall but spilled coffee on both the cement stair way and himself. His hand was burnt but I could tell that he was smarting more from embarrassment. As serendipity would have it, humor came to our rescue. “Kevin,” I said. “Don't feel bad. See that red stain just to your right? That was from my cranberry tea and I doing the same thing yesterday. We must have a trickster step playing pranks with us.” Kevin laughed with relief, I laughed with relief, and we both left with a smile.

Humor can create a non-judgmental attitude. When I say “non-judgmental,” we’re talking of a safe and risk-free environment. I reflect on a client who worked as a social worker for the state. Her job was emotionally draining. She had to take children away from people deemed as unfit parents. Despite the challenges, her reports and peers consistently indicated that she was the most successful employee in her department. She was noted as extremely capable of diffusing volatile situations, normalizing them with a sense of humor and turning a terrible moment into something bearable. The parents reported over and over of not feeling threatened or judged by her and that they were willing to cooperate with the system because of her.

Humor can heal. Dr. Paul Pearsall writes, “Every time we laugh 7 times, we triple our T-Cell count. These results can last for as long as 36 hours.” T-Cells help regulate our immune system and they also destroy infected cells. Laughter heals.

Let me offer you a quick shot of humor and its benefits. Write me at lyn@soulsalt.com. Mention “hit me with humor” in the subject line and I’ll send you something sure to put a smile on your face, a lift in your spirit, and a sprinkle on your T-cell’s doughnut.