To play at your work and work at your play—realizing that work without meaning is death, and play without effort is pointless.
Yes, it does take courage to apply humor practice in the workplace. Research is the necessary foundation for both the practice and the application of humor in the field. However, the impact of humor practice is seen by those with the courage to actually apply their personal humor practice in their profession or their job. It is frequently a challenge to promote humor practice in the "real" world. In my humor career, I have encountered incredible examples of people from all walks of life who are making an extraordinary difference in the lives of others with the purposeful use of humor and laughter.
Convincing most people that humor is important is not an issue. Almost everyone will readily say that they value humor. However, persuading executives, colleagues, and community organizations to actually implement humor practice can be a challenge. Humorphobia, or fear of humor, permeates many of our organizational systems. Many humorists have persisted in their humor practice in spite of some of the obstacles of doing so.
In this chapter, it is my privilege to share remarkable examples of colleagues who have used humor and laughter to make a difference not only in their own lives but also in the lives of countless others. Many of these remarkable humorists are active members of AATH, and all are trusted colleagues and friends who purposefully use humor in their careers and in their lives. Several have been participating in the AATH Humor Academy graduate and certificate program at Portland State University. These exemplary humorists were invited to share their stories because their humergy will inspire others to find creative ways to incorporate humor into various workplace settings. Their contact information is in Appendix 9.
Nothing great is ever accomplished without an element of risk. There are no guarantees . . . LEAD BOLDLY!
Chip Lutz is a trusted friend and fellow alumnus of Northern Illinois University—go Huskies! Since cochairing its annual conference in 2008, Lutz has been an active and influential member within AATH. He currently serves as the president of this remarkable organization as well as an instructor for the Humor Academy. Here, Lutz describes his experiences with the Department of Defense Yellow Ribbon Program.
Since September 11, 2001, the armed forces of the United States have experienced an operational tempo unlike any they've ever experienced before, which includes the continual deployment of reserve employees. Personnel of the reserve forces have been deployed, redeployed, and (sometimes) multi-deployed in support of U.S. operations worldwide. This takes a toll on the service member, the family, the extended family, and the communities that support them. Reintegrating into a family and going from deployment back into the community can be a difficult task. The Department of Defense has recognized this and has put together a program, the Yellow Ribbon Program, to try and give service members and their families the tools they need to get back to nonmilitary life.
As a speaker with this program, I work with all branches of the military. I speak on stress, anger, transition issues, and (pretty much) whatever they need. I'm not a mental health professional, but I do understand the issues we deal with—both as a retired service member and as a service member's spouse. In March of 2003, I became a single parent of four children (ages 10 and under) when my wife (a Navy reservist) deployed overseas in support of Operation Noble Eagle.
In my presentations, I use a lot of humor. One reason is that it opens up what can be a hard crowd to the possibility of learning. It helps with our connection and with the facilitation of ideas and experiences between people. One program in particular that I do is about using humor to deal with stress. This program is the most popular program I provide, not only because it gets people laughing, but because it helps them refer back to many of their own funny experiences and share them. People always approach me after the program sharing their own stories of laughter and how it helped them transcend tragedy. I think that's key. Stories help us learn, transform, and see things from a different perspective—not only for the people that share them but for others that hear them as well.
I recently received an email from a Navy commander who had been in a program of mine three years ago, and he stated that, at that time, he was not ready to "hear" me. But, after time, he was able to use the skills that we had discussed about using humor and attitude. He was able to deal with stress and stay positive in his efforts to change a terrible situation he had faced due to his deployment experiences.
In the end, we impact all of our futures as military personnel. Our military workers sacrifice so very much to ensure the freedoms that many take for granted; they should not have to sacrifice their ability to laugh as well.
Chip Lutz
President, Covenant Leadership; speaker; author; retired Navy officer
Another exceptional member ofAATH is Linda MacNeal, who also works with the military Yellow Ribbon Program. She is an AATH Humor Academy advisor and has served on AATH conference planning for many years. Linda shares her reflections on her personal preparation for a presentation memorializing the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
In the past my messages have centered on humor principles and techniques and how you can develop these new habits to help you remain resilient and light-hearted. I usually jump right into the subject as I am usually either the kick-off speaker to set an energetic tone for the day or I am used to wake them up after the audience has been a bit bored through many mandatory briefings.
However, this time, things are different. On September 11th, at 8:46, the event participants (as well as many across the U.S.) will observe silence in honor of the 9/11 tragedy. I am the kick-off speaker right after that. Sooooo ... I can't just jump up and launch into my peppy, humorous message, I need to transition slowly from the properly somber moment into humor.
I've spent the last two days in study mode, reading all that has been written on the subject of humor or comedy in September and October 2001. It's fascinating! I have been reading about what went on on late night TV with the comic hosts as well as Mayor Giuliani appearing on Saturday Night Live. I don't know if you know (I sure didn't) that the publication The Onion played a role also in the road back to normalcy, as did many other factors.
I've finally completed my preparations and have decided on a way to get from somber to silly. It was a fabulous exercise to help me evaluate how I regard and use my humor outlook as a constant companion.
Linda MacNeal
Speaker; owner, Humor Solutions; Humor Academy advisor
Hamish Boyd and his wife Fif Fernanães have been doing laughter workshops in Canada in a variety of settings for several years. They are active members of the Humor Academy in AATH. Hamish describes an amusing instance where they invited the participants in a senior retirement home to try "sexy laughter."
We started by volunteering at her mother's retirement home on Sunday mornings with fourteen septo-, octo-, and nonagenarian ladies, most of them in wheelchairs. After the second Sunday, one of the ladies wheeled up to me and whispered surreptitiously in my ear, "This is better than church!" Another of the ladies would continuously pipe up during the session, saying, "You two deserve a medal." When we asked, "What do you love?" with eyelids fluttering, one ninety-four-year-old with a sultry, deep voice would invariably and emphatically state, "Men!"
Some ladies were shy and others rather feisty. Nevertheless, they would all purse their lips, roll their shoulders and toss their hair, and each in her own unique way launch into her own version of sexy laughter. Within weeks of doing the Laughter Yoga, their range of motion improved dramatically, pains decreased, they felt a greater sense of community, and in one lady's case her blood pressure was reduced by 20 mm Hg, which brought it into acceptable range. The laughter, breath work, visualization, and rhythm aided them in recalling and reminiscing their carefree younger years.
Hamish Boyd
Playwright, actor
Fif Fernandes
Therapeutic clown, Calgary Hospital; speaker; Laughter Yoga leader
Assisting others in "aging well" has long been a passion ofKathy Laurenhue and is exemplified in her business, Wiser Now. Her newsletter and website provide invaluable information for caregivers and folks working with people with dementia. Brain games and fun strategies are included in her extensive resources. Her work with Alzheimer's patients is of special interest to all who have experienced family members with this dreaded disease.
A lot of my work has been in the field of Alzheimer's disease, and the first story I ever wrote was "What to Do When Your Mother Blows Her Nose in the White Bread." Someone wrote back to me to suggest the title was demeaning to people with dementia, but the story content was the exact opposite: how to maintain a person's dignity when she makes an obvious faux pas. The story was based on a real incident with a friend's mother who was part of an adult day program that made sandwiches for a soup kitchen. When her nose started to run, she grabbed the first item she saw resembling a handkerchief and blew. The program leader took the slice of bread from her, threw it out, helped the woman to wash her hands, gave her some fresh tissues for her pocket, and went on as if nothing happened. My friend and I definitely had a good laugh over the incident, but only when we were far removed from her mother.
When you are working with people with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia it's easy to shame and embarrass them. They are always on guard against making mistakes and will refuse to do many things that might expose their growing incompetence in completing ordinary tasks. In any situation, it's important to "laugh with" rather than "laugh at" a person, but people with dementia, especially in the early to middle stages when they are aware of their losses, seem especially vulnerable. At the same time, one of the amazing gifts of Alzheimer's disease is that one's sense of humor—and ability to smile and enjoy—is among the last things that is lost.
We often talk about humor in terms of light—lightening the mood or atmosphere, making light of a mistake. That's exactly what the program director did in the case of my friend's mother, but one needn't walk on eggshells around people with dementia. It's important to encourage laughter and even joke-telling. One of my favorite stories was told by Virginia Bell. She is the founder of a long-running day center for people with dementia. One day, during a discussion of shells and other beach treasures that were being passed around the group, she said, "I wonder how sand dollars multiply." Without missing a beat, one of the participants responded, "They give birth to baby dimes."
Kathy Laurenhue
CEO, Wiser Now; trainer; author
Kelly Epperson is the current editor of the AATH Humor Connection and writes a free weekly "Live the Joy" newsletter. She is the author of numerous books and is a sought-after speaker. She founded the first Happiness Club in Illinois, providing lively and supportive free programs for members. Her Joy Beyond Your Dreams programs are effective for people dealing with life changes.
As a writer and inspirational speaker, I give keynotes, programs, and trainings to a wide variety of groups. Humor is always infused into my material no matter if the audience is a cancer support group, nurses, teachers, customer service professionals, seniors at the retirement home, or seniors in high school.
I use funny photos, quotes, headlines, and stories. A little bit of laughter can open the heart and open the mind. Most importantly, humor gives hope. Every person has a different situation and circumstance, yet the power of humor gives an improved outlook for the future. They feel uplifted and empowered.
After one breakfast meeting, a gal stated that she was off to work and no longer felt the chip on her shoulder. She had been angry with a coworker from the day before, had stewed all night, and woke up with an axe to grind. She now had a changed perspective and would not confront her colleague as she had planned.
Kelly Epperson
Author, speaker, joy giver
Not only does Dwayna Covey work at a college and serve as a columnist for The Bridge Weekly serving New Hampshire and Vermont, she also provides weekly laughter sessions in her community. Dwayna serves as an advisor for the AATH Humor Academy and volunteers on the AATH conference planning committee.
During the last night of my stay in California for the 2010 AATH Conference (my first AATH conference) I began to put into place the steps to retain my newly discovered knowledge as well as how to share it with friends, colleagues, family, and clients. Step one—I had just put my weekly column, "A Dose of Dwayna," (published in The Bridge Weekly newspaper, http://www.thebridgeweekly.com) to bed, which replayed my conference experience and how humor and laughter are such important positive components in our lives. I have set up two Laughter Clubs; one is held at my workplace—a large academic medical center. The second is scheduled to begin at the local high schools—a free event for community members. It is essential to note that research is taking its place in the forefront and leading the way!
Dwayna Covey,
Counselor, educator, life coach
Business applications of play and fun are the focus of Leslie Yerkes's work with Catalyst Consulting. She has researched companies that find fun and has looked at their productivity levels. She has recorded this information in her book, Fun Works. Her insights about fun as a sign of organizational trust are the foundation for many humor studies. She is the author of numerous books and an amazing speaker and coach. Leslie has been a keynote speaker for AATH, providing wisdom from her years of experience in the business world.
I know the value of my sense of humor, my lightness in life, and my constant ability to see "the cup half full" in every situation. So strong is this sense of joy, play, and optimism that I have often been accused of being one of those "hokey pokey" kind of people.
This buoyance of mine has carried me far in life. It acts as an attractor. It has helped me to bridge into the unknown, make friends in the company of strangers, diffuse difficult transitions, and bring strength and hope into many serious situations.
I learned it from my family. I grew it stronger while being a foreign exchange student in Australia (the land of good humor). And I intentionally surrounded myself with other joyful individuals who make me laugh and remind me constantly that laughter is my best wellness strategy—and one of my strongest suits.
I have mourned the times in life when stress has deflated my ability to stay afloat with a playful approach. I can be intensely driven and sometimes discover that I have left behind the very important copilot of joy. When I am out of balance, my world tips and my relationships spiral downhill. With one breath, one smile, one laugh, everything comes back into perspective and balance once again.
I have spent the majority of my career observing and studying individuals, groups, and organizations in the context of work. Specifically, I am curious to learn when working relationships and working environments are the most vibrant, productive, and sustainable. In every instance, one of the greatest contributors to organizational well-being is the ability to take the work seriously but to lighten up on life and the process of getting there.
I know that one's humor is not a "nice to have" but a "need to have." It is a choice to rise each day and greet the new beginning with hope, joy, abundance, and laughter. Humor is a countenance and a competency.
My life and my work teach me that humor is positively contagious and contributes to a longer, healthier, and happier existence.
Leslie Yerkes
Speaker, author, management consultant, entrepreneur
For over thirty years, Aãrienne Eãmonãson worked in human resources and organizational development, including work with three Fortune 500 companies. The heart of her business is motivational coaching, team building, and fun-fusion (bringing humor/fun/mirth to the work environment in a fun and nonharassing way)! Adri-enne is the treasurer on the board of AATH and participates in the Humor Academy.
In my work experience I have found that humor has faded from the workplace. One of the reasons is because of HR policy revolving around harassment in the workplace. Because harassment is perceived by the person it is directed toward or even by a person in the general vicinity, if a person views it as harassment, it is harassment. Therefore, the workplace has become off limits for humor/ fun/mirthfulness.
The recession has had a significant impact on the workplace. It has created an environment that is less civil, overworked, and afraid. Many employees are feeling as if management does not care about them. They are concerned about their jobs and benefits. Employees have lost their civility due to ever increasing work demands on the job. Companies have learned how to do more and more with less. That is apparent when you look at the number of people who are unemployed. Those who are employed are survivors; they are suffering from employee stress disorder (ESD). They view themselves lucky to have a job. When and if the job market does improve the survivors will be the first out the door to seek greener pastures.
I have found, however, humor is the best solution for defusing hostile situations and creating a creative work environment. I kept a box of toys in my cubical. The toy box included Nerf balls, Nerf paddles, puppets, colorful clay, a paddle ball (a paddle with a ball on a rubber band), hats, funny glasses, and a magnetic dart-board. Some individuals would actually come to my area and play with the toys. Sometimes I would throw the Nerf balls over the cubical walls and get a game going. After a few minutes things would calm down and people would get back to work. What I noticed most about the calm was that people were more invigorated. I could hear the clicking of keyboards and faint phone conversations. That told me people had found new energy to get the job done.
One of the challenges about infusing humor/fun/mirthfulness into the workplace is convincing management that it does have a tangible benefit. Convincing management requires them to understand human behavior and get them to have fun themselves.
Adrienne Edmondson
President and CEO, Edmondson Associates; certified laughter leader
On several occasions, I have had the pleasure of hearing Katherine Puckett, who is the national director of mind/body medicine at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). As a keynote speaker at the AATH conference for several years, she shares her passion for promoting nontraditional healing treatments for cancer patients. Katherine has long been an advocate of using humor in her work with those patients. The benefits have been astounding.
We lead Laughter Club for our patients and their caregivers. We also offer a mini Laughter Club monthly as part of new employee orientation, which usually really catches people by surprise! Our hospital builds humor and fun into many events (holidays, staff training, contests) to help energize people and to help counteract the potential heaviness of caring for patients with very serious illness.
Most often our patients and families find this to be a welcome distraction from thinking about cancer. One young girl, at the hospital with her mother who had cancer, said, "I never thought about laughing every day, but now I know I can. Like even when I don't feel happy, I can still laugh and feel better." She went on to say she hoped she could find a laughter club near home so she could laugh all the time.
A man attending Laughter Club one day at our hospital asked me quite seriously, with a frown on his face, "Do we have to laugh?" I said, "No, but you may not be able to help it once we get going." He ended up being one of the most active participants, and when I saw him in the hallway the next week, he greeted me with laughter!
Katherine Puckett
Cancer Treatment Centers of America;
National director of mind/body medicine, CTCA
People naturally expect that folks will infuse humor into comedy routines. So did you hear the one about three different comedians who had powerful messages for three different AATH conferences? Judy Carter is a professional comedian and a comedy coach. She thrives on sharing positive energy and optimism with aspiring comedians through her business, Comedy Workshop Productions. She teaches others to be funny! She says, "Had a poignant moment at women's event in Detroit, MI. I love making people laugh. Is it weird that I get more satisfaction making them cry?" Laughter and tears are closely related, and Judy realizes the importance of using humor to decrease stress and increase productivity as she shares her comedy skills in mentoring those entering the field.
Leigh Anne Jasheway calls herself "the accidental comic." She has her masters degree in public health and has presented to numerous conferences on using humor to relieve stress. Her newsletters and books have been an inspiration to many in our field. She has generously shared her humor styles inventory for your use; it can be found in Appendix 2 of this book.
Gina Barreca was an AATH keynote presenter for the 2011 AATH conference. Her monolog about trying on swimsuits was hysterical. By day Gina is a professor at the University of Connecticut-Storrs. Gina is also a gifted columnist writing on humor and feminism. Her books are incredibly funny and fun! I observed her warmth and nurturing nature with several who are entering the field of comedy and humor research.
These female comedians have all contributed to the idea that women can be funny and that comedians can come from all backgrounds. Check out their websites and information and try to throw a little comedy into your daily routine!
Judy Carter
Author, speaker
Leigh Anne Jasheway
Author, speaker
Gina Barreca
Professor, author, speaker
Humor is an important strategy that Chris Balmer uses in counseling clients. His mission includes inviting others to embrace the power and joy of humor. Balmer does workshops on the value of humor, presenting to groups in education, business, social services, and health fields. Chris is a long-time member of AATH and was a speaker at the 2010 conference.
Humor is useful in the assessment, intervention, and support phases of my counseling work. When exploring a client's issues I always probe where, how, and with whom they involve themselves in any positive or uplifting experiences. I quickly learn where they are out of balance and learn clues about what activities they are inclined to be open to adopting.
When I am intervening to help change a nonfunctional behavior or pattern, we cocreate ways they can do things that will engage them in positive emotional experiences like joy, pleasure, and optimism. This often involves increasing their exposure to humor and laughter as we redirect their mental focus away from problem negative-focused expectations and experiences and toward more positive, empowering experiences and more satisfying emotional self-management.
One client experiencing anxiety and depression was particularly stuck in a pattern of worrying and "catastrophizing," which did not allow any room for even believing that her life could improve in the area she held out slim hope for. She couldn't tell me any examples of positive activities she enjoyed and had pretty much given up any hope of changing her life. The intervention I used was to get her to imagine the situation getting even worse and describing to me the most absurd, bizarre, and humorous turns of events as she exaggerated the various negative consequences to a most extreme outcome.
When she realized that the outcome she conjured up was totally unrealistic, she laughed and said: "I can see that worrying about this is really a waste of time . . . the worst that I imagine is unlikely to ever happen." That seemed to bring a slight perspective shift that allowed her to see how her worst-case expectations (and the habit she had developed around this) was a big part of her problem. She was able to redirect her focus of attention to the positives in her life circumstances and how much better she felt when she noticed them and began reviewing her days from a new positive mind set. As time passed she became more accomplished at doing this and became more depression resilient in the process.
Chris Balmer
Counselor, professor, researcher, administrator
Lois McElravy is a dynamite motivational speaker who speaks about her challenges as a result of a severe brain injury from an automobile accident. Before the accident Lois was an independent contractor and sales representative for fifteen companies in twenty retail stores. The accident completely turned her life upside down. Lois has been a speaker for AATH and is a member of the Humor Academy. She describes her continuing journey of using humor to cope with her health challenges.
Hanging on with humor and learning to laugh in the midst of trying times rescued me from the distress and despair of adjusting to an abrupt life change caused by a brain injury and initiated my recovery.
At first it felt impossible that I would ever be able to laugh or feel happy again. My husband didn't know how to help me, but he knew how to make me laugh. When I laughed, something magical happened. For that brief moment, I forgot my problems and felt a glimmer of hope.
Motivated by my husband and mother, I tried to see the funny side of brain injury, but life didn't feel funny. Surrounded by chaos and confusion, I initially used hostile humor to express my frustration and release anger. Suffering from an identity crisis and shattered self-worth, I used putdown humor to express the self-loathing I felt about my "new self." Eventually I learned how to use coping humor to let go of my sadness, grieve my losses, and accept my new reality. When I needed to take a time-out from my life, humor provided my escape.
I noticed when something went wrong and I got stressed out, my ability to figure things out declined and people got uncomfortable or felt bad for me. But if I handled difficulties with a light-hearted approach, my ability to figure things out improved and people relaxed. Over time, I learned to poke fun at my flaws and blunders without putting myself down and became a master at using self-effacing humor to silence my inner critic and grow my self-confidence.
After participating in a brain injury documentary in 2005 and learning how prevalent coping humor was among brain injury survivors, I became intrigued with studying humor. In 2006, I began teaching humor workshops, which were frequently booked as conference break-outs along with my keynote speech. Averaging twenty events a year, I motivate, inspire, and entertain international audiences with personal stories that impart a heartfelt message of perseverance and hope and equip people with humor strategies they can use to cope with the unpredictable swift pace of their life.
My humor specialty is "survival humor," and my sense of humor turns darker as my frustration builds and my patience shrivels. Props are one of the humor strategies I regularly use to remind myself to lighten up and help me tame the sassy little girl who still lives inside of me. I distribute mini magic wands to others with instructions about how they can activate the magic.
I'm quoted for saying, "When life knocks you down, humor is the magic wand that cushions your fall, lifts you back up and points you in a new direction."
Lois McElravy
Founder, Lessons from Lois; speaker, author
A recently published book, A Shot in the Arm and a Strong Spirit, provides a wonderful description of Kris Harty's medical challenges as a lifelong patient. It began with a diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of seven. Living with chronic illness and disability, she now is a popular speaker who describes how humor helped her to survive.
From the start, especially when speaking to an audience, my sheer physicality can be a barrier to being seen, heard, and accepted. People don't always know what to make of someone who is 4'6" and walks with a limp and a walking stick! Whether on or off the stage, I immediately try to put others at ease. One way is to encourage a laugh by incorporating my self-description up front: "The Short Chick with the Walking Stick."
Humor is a great dissolver of tension and anxiety. By helping the audience laugh right away, they accept me as "one of them" much quicker, allowing us to move past barriers and toward the reason why we're there. The comical side of things (and there's almost always a comical side) lets us address the pink elephant in the room in a nonthreatening way. My clients love that sensitive subjects can be treated with respect and insight while accompanying comic relief permits all of us to enjoy a much needed release.
I use humor throughout my work and business as a writer and speaker. Sometimes I'll use amusing lines or words that I know from previous experience will resonate with my readers or audience. Sometimes it's something funny that comes to me on the fly. Either way, humor helps break down barriers and pull readers or listeners more deeply into my message of hope, perseverance, and how to "Stick to It—No Matter What!" Sometimes that message is weighty, especially when dealing with examples and stories involving serious medical issues and loss. Humor brings the energy back up and allows for a positive, lighter note that helps us all digest the content before diving back into the meat of the matter.
Kris Harty
Author; speaker; CEO, Strong Spirit Unlimited
Sharon Olds recently completed a fascinating dissertation on how humor is used by administrators in schools. Sharon is a colleague from my job at the KIDS arm of the Regional Office of Education in Boone and Winnebago counties in Illinois. As you can imagine, her school is filled with laughter and joy. I am especially honored that she used the term humergy to describe her work (Morrison, 2008).
I recently completed my doctoral research surrounding the topic of humor and its use by female school superintendents or district administrators. Through the use of interviews and observations, I gathered data that described the motivation/rationale behind the use of humor by women in school district leadership roles, qualified the use of humor and developed a hierarchy of strategic uses through an analysis of interview and observation data, described the use of humor in various leadership roles and the relationship between leadership style and humor, described the use of humor as it related to gender, and explained how humor is used throughout all job responsibilities.
A phenomenological study design approach was utilized to analyze the verbatim transcripts and observation notes. With this type of methodology, a researcher recognizes her own perceptions regarding humor and purposefully identifies and brackets out these ideas. This allows a common portrait to emerge based solely on the gathered data.
Transcripts and notes were analyzed and significant statements were identified. These extended statements were simplified into fewer words, called formulated meanings. The formulated meanings were clustered into common strands and five overriding themes arose that were discussed as the primary findings:
Theme 1: The decision to use humor is highly dependent on one's audience and must be strategized.
Theme 2: Humor is usually purposefully strategized and pre-planned with motive.
Theme 3: Humor in a tense, intense, or contentious setting is consciously strategized but spontaneous.
Theme 4: Humor use is variable along the lines of gender and familiarity of relationships while tending to be individualized by personality.
Theme 5: Humor for the self (internal) is socially evaluative and of a different nature than humor for a group (external) which is always strategic.
The final truth of this research seemed to be that all humor is strategic and serves an immediate strategized purpose. While a witty remark may seem spontaneous or off the cuff, it is in reality a quick innate response or quip based on a history of patterned responses and reactions. The strategy is also affected by the calculated characterization of a person or group of people. There are many contradictions that have arisen regarding the strategic nature of the use of humor. In reality, there are no constants that typify the use of humor among a group of female superintendents. There are many thoughts about with whom one feels more comfortable—a female leader may believe that she identifies more with male humor but in reality may tolerate typical male humor only as a method towards acceptance.
A contrast is evident between the use of humor that is self-sustaining and the nature of external humor. Internally sustaining humergy acts as a self-preservation coping tool in the strenuous world of school superintendency.
Sharon Olds
Elementary school principal, researcher, author
Don and Alleen Nilsen are the authors of the Encyclopedia of 2Oth-Century American Humor, freely sharing their insights and resources through PowerPoint slide shows. They have sent flash drives with their informational Power-Points to folks around the world. They are members of the International Society for Humor Studies (ISHS) and are recently retired professors of English from Arizona State University. Their work includes compiling extensive bibliographies of those in the field of humor. As professors at Arizona State University their work will continue to impact thousands of lives with their dedication to humor research.
Information about improving college teaching was the project of Tony Trunfio. He designed the Laugh First Project as a way to create "faculty instruction that reinforces silly teaching." Trunfio is a member ofAATH and has served as the Humor Connection editor.
I created the GOTCHA method of teaching to demonstrate how humor and other fun strategies can animate a stagnant class and make it more interactive. The Laugh First Project was founded in April 2008 as a way to create "faculty instruction that reinforces silly teaching." Since then, its mission has expanded to "edu-tain" not only professionals but the lives of everyone from children to senior citizens.
Tony Trunfio
Speaker, professor
Enid Schwartz's work on humor is well known in the field. She has authored works that range from children's humor development to surviving cancer through humor. She is a fellow advisor in AATH, and her expertise in the AATH Humor Academy is invaluable. Schwartz is not only an author hut also a nurse, a professor, and currently teaches an online course using humor.
As to how I use humor in teaching my online classes, I've actually thought about this to help add to your book. How do I express the incidental humor that occurs? Much of the humor I use comes from working off of someone else's posts. I put lots of:-) on my comments and have been known to use "LOL" when something the student says really tickles me. I also talk about the importance of humor in our nursing practice. I share funny incidents that happen as a means of trying to teach a point, such as my story about developing rapport with a pre-surgery patient who had been tagged as "difficult" by handing him a hospital gown and telling him to put on one of our Paris originals. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.
I would add about humor in online environments that it is important to be sensitive to the fact that there is no nonverbal clues so presenting something humorous could more likely be misinterpreted, so smiley faces are helpful. There is also a delicate balance between trying to be professional online and being relaxed enough to let play in. Humor is important to help decrease the tension students feel and to build rapport without diminishing the instructor's position. I honestly don't know how I do it. I just try to be me online as well as offline, and I try not to be too distant from my students. I like to tell funny stories that are true, but have a point. I also tend to embellish a little so that humor sneaks in but the story isn't diminished.
Enid Schwartz
Nurse, educator, author, researcher
Fif Fernanães has done remarkable work as a clown at the Calgary Children's Hospital, as described previously. Her work with the children and their families has often had unexpected results.
I was at the Houston Airport on route to Chicago when "Alexander's" dad contacted me requesting Jumpa visit his son. I am on staff working as a therapeutic clown at the Alberta Children's Hospital. The children named me Jumpa (Tibetan for "special, loving friend"), Napi (Blackfoot for "trickster") and Satara (Farsi for "morning starlight"). I journey with kids, families, and staff in emergency, oncology, pediatric, intensive care, and palliative.
I had played with Alex a few days earlier, and things were going well. He had been in remission from cancer. Now his dad was struggling to hold back the tears, "He may not live till the end of the week."
Even if I was to fly back to Calgary, I would not be able to see Alex for a week since this was at the height of H1N1, I had been on a plane, and our hospital adheres to strict infection prevention control.
"May I speak to Alexander?" I quivered as tears silently streamed down. I heard the rustling of the sheets and finally a barely audible, "Hello."
"Hey Dudester, its Jumpa! Wanna laugh?"
"OK."
Have you ever tried to find a private place in an airport? Covering my hand over the mouthpiece of my iPhone, trying not to look or sound conspicuous, I started to laugh like a horse, then a monkey, then drew in a long inhalation and longer exhalation as I smelled polka dotted and striped flowers with Alex. Laughter Yoga. People around me were smiling. Well at least they are not calling 911 to haul me away. In less than two minutes, Alex was exhausted but happy.
"Would you like me to phone you again tomorrow?"
"Sure, yes please."
And thus Alex and I embarked on a beautiful journey of love and laughter. For the next three months we laughed everyday. The two minutes stretched to seventeen. Within three months he was going home on day passes! We eased off on the daily visits and calls. However, all too soon he was back at the hospital; our daily dose of laughter and breathing resumed.
Hamish, my husband and fellow Laughter Yoga leader, and I were enjoying my birthday dinner when my pager went off. It was 10:00 p.m.—Alexander's dad. He was in PICU. The team had tried everything. It was time to allow Alex to go with dignity and peace. Within fifteen minutes I arrived at PICU. Alex's eyes were closed, breathing steady. He looked very peaceful. I knew he knew I was there. As we did with every laughter session we shared, I asked, "Whom should we invite today?"
He always responded, "The Buddhas!" This evening, I responded for him and continued our Laughter Yoga ritual. Once the entire retinue of Buddhas of every color filled the room, he would offer them juice, pizza with black olives and pepperoni—vegetarian, of course!—and chocolate chip cookies. Then we would laugh and breathe. When we were done we would always, always, always share the laughter and joy we had created with everyone in the hospital, the whole world, and all the universes in all the times, including all beings—creatures of the land, sea, sky, and space.
The following evening, Hamish and I had been invited to facilitate a Laughter Session for a Buddhist community. I shared Alex's story and how we would do Laughter Yoga together. At sunset, we laughed him into the Buddhafield. Just at that time Alex passed away peacefully between his mum and dad. In his nine years and five days he shared vast joy and laughter with all who he met.
His parents requested that I be part of his memorial service. They further surprised me by asking me to MC the event. Because of the joy Alexander and I shared with laughter, his parents also wanted me to start the memorial service with Laughter Yoga. The response from the over 300 attendees was nothing short of wonder and joy. Though bittersweet because of the death of a beautiful nine-year-old boy, the Laughter Yoga created a connection between people that allowed for both grief and laughter. Even now, people I don't know who attended the service will approach me and talk about their experience of how the Laughter Yoga helped them to find the joy amidst the profound pain. Even in death, Alexander continues to bring joy and laughter.
Fif Fernandes
Therapeutic clown, Calgary Hospital; speaker; Laughter Yoga leader
Note from Fif Fernandes:
The names have been changed to protect privacy. I have permission from the family to share this story. And I give my permission to Mary Kay Morrison to use this story in this book
When Allen Klein's wife was diagnosed with cancer, there were a few moments when laughter lightened the mood and eased the pain. But those few moments had a profound impact on Klein, who wrote about these experiences in his best-selling book The Healing Power of Humor.He has authored several other books in which he describes how people can find more joy and laughter in life. Klein is a past president ofAATH and has been a frequent keynote speaker.
In my workshops, I go through the letters L.A.U.G.H. Each stands for something and reminds the audience how to get more laughter in their life and their work. For example,
L is for Let Go: If you are angry or upset about anything, you can't laugh about it
A is for Attitude: I tell people that our attitudes are the crayons that color our world. What color aru you choosing?
U is for You: Only you can let go. Only you can change your attitude.
G is for Go Do It: Find out what makes you laugh and go for it.
H is for Humor Eyes and Humor Ears: Open your eyes and ears and look for something to laugh about. It's all around us.
Everyone in my presentations gets a red clown nose to take home.
The stories of how people use these always amaze me. One mother, for example, told me that she wears one when trying to get her kids out of bed on school mornings. It starts the day off on a happy note. And another couple told me they plant clown noses all around the house and put them on as a signal to head off an impending fight. For them, it is like an instant red light to stop what might turn into a heated argument.
I advise people to remember to keep things light. I suggest they either carry around a feather as a reminder to do that or to put on a clown nose when things get stressful and turn those Maalox moments into more mirthful ones.
Allen Klein
Speaker, author
Joel Schwartz calls himself "the stress-less shrink!" He retired from being chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Abington Memorial Hospital and continues his work as an author and speaker. He currently serves on the board of directors of AATH, cochaired the AATH 2010 conference in Orlando, Florida, and works as a Humor Academy advisor.
Health care is stressful for both the professional and the patient. Dealing with life and death on a daily basis without relief will eventually take its toll on the care-givers. Facing a procedure, even a minor one; dealing with an acute or chronic illness; or watching a loved one deteriorate are just a few of the medical and emotional situations that confront patients and families everyday. Although there are many avenues available to help both the patient and the caregivers deal with stress, one of the most underutilized is humor, laughter, mirth, and wit.
For example, a young physician, four days out of medical school and into his internship, finds himself working in the emergency room on July 4th. The atmosphere is electric, the situation chaotic, with patients with heart attacks, strokes, broken bones, diabetic shock, automobile accidents, cuts, and sprains. Amidst the turmoil a nurse rushes over to the doctor and informs him that a black widow spider bit the patient in room 5. There were many things the young doctor learned in medical school, but the treatment of black widow spider bites was not one of them. Fortunately there was a shelf of reference books close at hand and in one was the treatment of black widow spider bites. It said the following: If a black widow spider has bitten someone, do the following:
The irony of the instructions broke the tension, and the doctor started to laugh. The story spread like wildfire, bringing smiles and laughter to everyone who worked in the ER and helping reduce the tension of the day.
An older woman went to a new gynecologist for her first visit. It was the doctor's custom to joke with his patients, but this woman would have none of it. "Doctor," she proclaimed loudly, "I do not appreciate your humor." The doctor, of course, got quiet and proceeded with the history taking in a serious manner and then asked his nurse to prepare the patient for the examination. Later when he came into the room, the patient said, "Doctor, I hope you weren't offended by what I said to you before." "I wasn't," he replied. "I'm not a doctor." The patient broke out laughing, and the rest of the visit was tension free.
The timing of humor is critical and must wait until the patient or the professional can and is willing to hear it. It should never demean, degrade, or embarrass the person and should be sensitively politically correct.
Joel Schwartz
Chief of staff, Department of Psychiatry,
Abington Memorial Hospital; speaker; author
At the age of five Amy Robbins began practicing humor. Later in life as a physician and cardiac anesthesiologist in the Bronx, she had to prepare the sickest patients for surgery. What she found was that the physicians, nurses, students, and technicians needed to care for each other during stressful times, and humor was her path to help with that! She describes her method.
I think a lot of my humor came out in order to "break" tense moments or to "gently" let my surgical colleague know that I might have noticed something in the operative field (from my vantage point at the "north" end of the table) that she/he did not see (or frankly, might have missed). Instead of admonishing . . . humor often worked. That's not to say that there were really, really tense, sometimes very frustrating instances. I've seen some very angry people in the operating room over the course of several decades. But, in the middle of the night during your ninth month of pregnancy—when you know that after you've pulled your patient away from the edge of the abyss, there's yet another urgent patient waiting in the wings and you cannot possibly imagine how you'll be able to start another case at 4:30 in the morning after a ten hour surgical marathon . .. you've simply got to laugh and practically snort the coffee out of your nose when you turn around and three of your male colleagues (an anesthesiologist and two perfusion technologists) have quietly let their O.R. scrub pants drop to the ground, exposing their boxer shorts!
I would've done the exact same thing, but I was wearing a thong.
In another situation Amy instituted a "Bring your cello to work day."
Since I was the only one who played the cello, there were several of those days and no one argued with me. I'd park myself and my cello near the sickest patient who'd been on a mechanical ventilator for the longest period of time. And then I would play something "hemodynamically appropriate." For example, I'd play something adagio (slow) if the patient's heart rate was too fast—or something allegro (fast) if the patient's heart needed speeding up. A therapeutic serenade. Worked nicely most of the time. I was in my fifth year of post-graduate training for goodness sake! Let my medical student do the "scut" work and pick up the x-rays and run and get the lab results and transport patients to CT scan!
Enlisting help from some colleagues, we'd often write song parodies (especially as tributes to the patients who were "in the running" for Longest ICU Stay With No Discernible Improvement). Bringing in our guitars, these activities were best done after midnight when patients often suffered from "ICU psychosis."
Amy Robbins
Anesthesiologist, Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine (ICU)
Clown noses bring laughter to those lucky enough to be in the path of Deb Hart. Deb has recently traveled to Peru to share her noses and laughter with people in need. In her worn with the homeless and with those in pain, Deb Hart is generous with her time and talents. Deb is a long-time member of AATH, serving on the board of directors and volunteering as a Humor Academy advisor. She served as conference chair for many years. She shares her insights on techniques that served her as a nurse.
In the hospital, I often walked around with puppets. If a particular patient seemed or actually expressed that they had no control in their environment or seemed disengaged from their environment I would ask if I could put a puppet on their foot. Always, they moved their foot. I then would laugh. I would call in another nurse or health care worker and say "Look at this. He/she is making the puppet dance" . . . this would make the patient move more. This in turn gave back some element of control to the patient, and then they would be more engaged with the health care worker. Although I never measured "how long" this positive reinforcement lasted, the health care worker and patient would talk many times about "Remember when you made the puppet dance?" and easier and less argumentative compliance to the med regime was talked about and became antidotal evidence.
Deb Hart
Nurse, certified laughter leader, therapeutic clown
There are several organizations that promote and provide training for laughter therapy. Several groups provide Laughter Clubs and laughter training. Dr. Steve Wilson has been in the forefront of the therapeutic laughter movement, providing training to over 5,000 laughter professionals. He explains the programs that he has created as his life work
In the World Laughter Tour (WLT) model of therapeutic laughter, great care is given to creating a particular psychological environment (humanistic) in which therapeutic laughter activity will take place. In the WLT method, Certified Laughter Leaders (CLLs) expose participants to the therapeutic potential of mirthful laughter through a systematic, repeatable, and educational program. More or less, the fun comes first, last, and if we can manage it, in a manner of speaking, always.
Fun, mirth, attentiveness, support, encouragement, and proper information are the heart of the experience in the laughter therapy circle, along with the invitation to examine and adopt a healthier lifestyle through healthier attitudes. This is done systematically and is quite advantageously repeated until the participant can carry on the process independent of the formal laughter therapy session, with self-education and, perhaps, occasional returns for "booster shots."
Albeit quite fun, the WLT CLL has training, education, and support for creating the environment most likely to engage the participants in corrective emotional experiences. Techniques, including specific attitudes and group leadership, are used by CLLs to help participants be amenable to enthusiastic participation.
The CLL training has three overriding objectives. Successfully completing the basic training course, the CLL will be better able to
Based on the anecdotal evidence provided by more than 6,000 people already trained in laughter therapy, I believe that a well-founded, systematic, humanistic therapeutic laughter program can successfully address concerns of humor/laughter trauma and health and happiness, and bring about improvement in a wide variety of conditions. I eagerly await and encourage the gathering of scientific evidence as well.
Steve Wilson
Psychologist, humor/laughter therapy; CEO, World Laughter Tour
Dr. Madan Kataria is credited with starting the Laughter Yoga movement in India and has trained many people who are currently conducting laughter sessions all over the world. He was recently featured on the cover of New Yorker magazine. Laughter Yoga teacher Pat Conklin, a member ofAATH, has been trained by Dr. Kataria and shares these thoughts.
In Orlando, Florida, silliness and play paved the way to a bolder, more fulfilling professional life for a laughter and fitness enthusiast. At age fifty-three, I became a first-time entrepreneur, something I'd never dared to even contemplate before coming across Laughter Yoga in 2009. Although no stranger to reinventing my career when circumstances dictated, I had always sought more conventional (and "serious-minded") employment in my chosen field of biology—working as a researcher in biotech labs, then a personal trainer in a fitness facility, then a grant writer for a large hospital system. For me, laughter was a change agent of a different color, propelling me to found Laughter Yoga Orlando, a business that provides mobile Laughter Yoga, motivational speaking, and laughter life coaching services.
If humor is perceived as risky, imagine how threatening the expression of spontaneous silliness might be to someone whose childhood experience had taught her to be quiet and serious, follow the rules, and fear failure. But Laughter Yoga had quite the opposite effect on me: it provided a safe space for me to lighten up and step outside of myself, play and flex my creative muscles, overcome self-imposed and self-defeating resistance to the new and unknown—and take formerly unthinkable risks.
Just five months after experiencing my first laughter session, I began my adventure into entrepreneurship by earning certifications as a Laughter Yoga Leader and Teacher from Dr. Kataria's School of Laughter Yoga. Within the next fifteen months, I had become the Levity Institute's first certified Laughter Life Coach in Central Florida. As such, I now specialize in lifestyle and weight management coaching—and use coaching practices and laughter exercises in combination to help my clients envision what they want for themselves, break through barriers, and create new possibilities.
Pat Conklin
Certified Laughter Yoga leader and teacher
David Granirer is, quite simply, an inspiration. He is the founder of Stand Op for Mental Health. He teaches stand-up comedy to people with mental illness as a way for them to build confidence and to fight public stigma from this disease. His program has found worldwide success as he brings joy and often a career to those suffering from mental illness. David has inspired participants at several AATH conferences as a keynote speaker. His message is a powerful example of how humor can help those most in need.
The process involves a series of classes where I teach them how to write, edit, and perform an act. Once everyone has a 3-5 minute act we go out and perform a debut show.
Clients indicate that taking the class helps them to see humor in their daily life, increases their sense of optimism and hope for the future, and also increases their ability to handle stressful situations in their daily lives. They also say that they are more able to achieve closure on bad things from their past by seeing the humor in them and using this ability to cognitively reframe these situations, that is, from being bad things to great comedy material.
I have used this process to train groups across North America. The format involves using Skype to deliver weekly two-hour classes at the end of which I fly in to perform a showcase with the students.
I got the idea for Stand Up for Mental Health from watching students in my Langara College Stand-Up Comedy Clinic course in Vancouver. Though Stand-Up Comedy Clinic isn't intended as therapy, I've had students overcome longstanding depressions and phobias, not to mention increasing their confidence and self-esteem. There's something incredibly healing about telling a roomful of people exactly who you are and having them laugh and cheer.
David Granirer
Author, speaker, CEO, Stand Up for Mental Health
When it comes to replenishing overextended and underappreciated nurses from around the globe, singing nurse Deb Gauldin believes funny music is the best medicine. Gauldin has realized through her extensive experience that music and laughter transcend language barriers and cultural differences. She has joyfully played her guitar to entertain non-English-speaking nurses in remote areas of Vietnam, China, and Nepal. Gauldin is one of the most charming, energetic, and loving people that I know. She is an active member of the Humor Academy and incoming AATH president. It is an honor to serve on the AATH board of directors with her.
Though she would rather "be funny" than talk about it, Gauldin never misses an opportunity to share science-based research that supports the therapeutic application of both humor and music. She concludes that happy, valued nurses ultimately result in happier and healthier patients, families, and communities in every corner of the world. Without support, Gauldin worries the very nurse she may one day need might exit nursing entirely. With a wink, she reminds nurses they can never really leave the profession. "Iťs like the mafia," she quips. "You can't get out. You know too much!"
Regardless of where I appear, nurses assume I am there to cheer up patients. The most serious medical practitioners begin to giggle when they realize this guitar-strumming professional humorist has come to celebrate them instead! Though everyone enjoys the laughter, I feel music has an even greater ability to tickle the funny bone and tug at the heartstrings. I have used this effective combination to entertain, educate, and rejuvenate health care audiences for over fifteen years, and I believe the need today is greater than ever.
Nurses continue to experience frustration and disillusionment when they are unable to practice the ideal care they were trained to deliver. They are powerless to change much of what they face each day. A funny lyric or prop reframes stress and helps caregivers focus on what they do accomplish.
Deb Gauldin
Nurse, musician, speaker
Kelly Epperson, mentioned above as an author and speaker, also started the first Happiness Club in northern Illinois.
As founder of the Happiness Club of Loves Park, I teach that a bit of whimsy is wise. A bit of playful humor has greatly improved the happiness quotient of members. "Joy Assignments" are taken seriously, and attendees report back with glee and photos of swinging in the park, snow angels in the yard, and putting a touch of humor in the cubicle at work. After another program, a woman was laughing through her tears. "This is the first time I have laughed since my daughter died last year. I think maybe now I can be okay again." A high school boy said, "You're really funny and really smart. I learned a lot." I believe if I was not funny, he would not have listened at all and not learned anything. It is true: humor helps.
Kelly Epperson
Author, speaker, joy giver
Many of the quotes in this book are taken from Nick Hoesľs work titled Laughter: The Drug of Choice. As a pharmacist, Hoesl shares that he has poked fun at himself by calling himself a "mirth dispenser" and that he is proud to have received the "Pill of the Year" Award. He says that our five senses are not complete without the sixth sense—which is, of course, our sense of humor. Nick claims that the drug of laughter has not been reviewed by the FDA as either safe or effective, but he advocates the benefits of using humor as the first drug of choice. Nick is a long-time member of AATH and has served on the membership committee.
Nick Hoesl
Author, pharmacist
Hob Osterlunã is one of the few people who infused humor while actually doing the research on humor! Osterlund was a keynote speaker for the 2011 AATH conference. She has worked in a hospital setting in Hawaii for many years. Hear her remarkable story on her website and learn about her research with the YouTube video "Humor Rumor"!
I've used humor as part of clinical practice since nursing school, much to the consternation of my undergrad instructors. Sometime in the early 1980s, laughing with patients went from being a sin to being a strength. I don't know what happened, but you can bet it was something funny.
For the first few years, humor was just part of my natural way of communicating: find absurdity, share a laugh, move on. This was never meant to be disparaging or a detriment to serious conversation; in fact, it was always meant to encourage it. I mean that word literally: to inspire courage.
In 1982 I published my first national article about humor in nursing and was invited to speak at the national Oncology Nursing Society Congress. For the next fifteen years I gave presentations about funny things that happen in hospitals, again emphasizing the absurdity of it all... things that nurses are asked to do, things we document in charts, the hospital culture itself, notions that the general public has of health care providers. Nursing invisibility. Expectations of the Deity. Shrinking budgets and the simultaneous demand for the most expensive and high-tech options. Pretending we can keep everyone alive indefinitely.
In 1997 I produced a film of my alter ego, Ivy Push, RN. Performing, writing, and producing comedy allowed me to reach much larger audiences than my one-at-a-time clinical practice in pain and palliative care. I performed Ivy for many large events; in addition, when I was at work at the Queen's Medical Center, Ivy Push could travel as a film. In 2006 I produced When Ivy Push Comes to Shove. That same year I launched the "Chuckle Channel" concept at Queen's, using a closed-circuit television channel strictly for uplifting comedy.
From that experience I discovered what it meant to patients to have friendly, funny programming, especially in the middle of the night when they were scared and in pain. The TV was no longer an inanimate object on the wall but a living, breathing relationship, and an intimate one at that. Patients sleep with it, spend the night with it, are naked with it. I was so touched by what I learned that I founded "Health, Humor &; Hospitals, Inc.," became a television producer (who knew how to do that?) and took the Chuckle Channel to a new level, offering it by subscription to all hospitals in North America.
Realizing that virtually all previous randomized controlled trials in humor research had studied healthy people who had a painful stimulus imposed upon them, I then—along with a team of astounding professionals—proposed, found funding for, and conducted the COMIC (comedy in chemotherapy) Study, looking at the impact of comedy on the symptoms of cancer and chemotherapy. We found some significantly positive results and look forward to publishing them. I then produced a comedy about comedy research called "Humor Rumor." It can be found on YouTube.com, along with clips of Ivy Push. What have I learned about using humor to maximize learning? That I would not be smart without the ability to laugh, nor the old-dog courage to try new tricks.
Hob Osterlund
Clinical nurse specialist, researcher, author, Chuckle Channel creator
Enid Schwartz, previously mentioned, completed her dissertation on "The Use of Humor in Coping with Breast Cancer." She found that a diagnosis of breast cancer can lead to emotional stress that challenges a person's ability to handle it. However, in her research, women reported that when they were able to use humor, it allowed them to cope by changing perspective and allowing them to distance themselves from the experience for at least a period of time.
Also, in her dissertation, she used a humor assessment that may be beneficial to anyone who might be thinking about doing humor research, trying to assess personal humor, or learning about the humor in the workplace. She generously shared it for this book. You may want to use this as a strategy for working with groups.
Enid Schwartz
Author, educator
*Printed with permission (Schwartz, 2006).
Ed Singer recently completed research on individual humor style characteristics and the "Big Five" personality traits as mentioned in Chapter 5. He discussed the difficulty of doing this type of research with so many of the variables that come into play (pun intended) with humor studies. A lot of credit goes to the people doing the "hard" research as it is difficult to conduct with so many variables.
Lee Berk from Loma Linda University has made tremendous impact on the field of humor research. He continues to explore the field of mind-body medicine. He continues to look at eustress and the ability of humor to lower the levels of cortisol, increase endorphins, slow heart rate, and reduce blood pressure. His work has made inroads into the mainstream media with appearances on CNN and numerous articles in the mainstream media. He has been a mentor and supporter of AATH for a number of years.
Ed Singer
Researcher
Lee Berk
Researcher, professor, speaker
David Jacobson had a unique and challenging opportunity when he was manager of the Social Work Department at University Medical Center, Tucson, on January 8, 2011. Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was seriously wounded at a Congress on Your Corner event in northwest Tucson on that day. The lone gunman shot several others at the scene; some were killed, and many were hospitalized.
David's role was to ensure that his department was meeting the psychosocial needs of the victims and families. This included crisis intervention, community resource referrals, preparation for hospital discharge, assistance with postdischarge counseling arrangements, and other needs. David serves on the board of AATH and is a member of the Humor Academy. He gave an awesome presentation at the 2011 AATH conference on using humor in his role during the aftermath of this tragedy. He wrote about his experiences with crisis intervention for this book. A highlight for him was a visit from President Obama and Michelle Obama, who thanked him for his work.
The purpose of using humor post trauma is to give the victims another psychological shield they can use to arm themselves against the posttraumatic stress that is sure to come. Creating humor is more psychologically protective than appreciating another's humor, though appreciation of humor will also help with psychological adjustment. My role in the Tucson tragedy was to help guide people towards generating their own humor. That is the most therapeutically beneficial.
Humor can be used to broach sensitive topics such as trauma and guilt. There are conditions peculiar to each trauma and its circumstances that will contribute to the type of humor used, if it is used at all. There were many instances and interactions where humor would have been very inappropriate.
One way I used humor was as a cognitive behavioral therapy technique. This evidence-based therapy uses cognitive restructuring to identify and change negative thinking patterns. The technique involves altering negative automatic thoughts that occur in anxiety-provoking situations.
One example would be when the victim enters a grocery store in the future. The shooting took place outside a grocery store. The victim going to the store may think, "Oh no, what if there is a gunman in here?" This triggers a stress response, which will prevent the victim from entering the store. Those negative thoughts need to change.
One suggestion may be to help them with finishing the thought in a different direction. "What if there was a gunman in here and he forced us all to form a conga line and dance through the store?" A cognitive reaction would be, "That's silly and odds are I'll never see anything like that." The question to follow may be "What are the odds of being shot twice outside of grocery store on two separate occasions?" The humor helps bring the person back to more rational thinking. There are many examples of how this was used in the weeks following the tragic shooting that space does not allow for here, but that's it in a nutshell. Believe me; I've never been in a nutshell before.
David Jacobson
Social work administrator, speaker, author
It has been a joy to connect with and meet speaker, laughter leader, and AATH member Bronwyn Roberts from Australia. Roberts writes a free Happiness Hotline Newsletter as part of her mission to share laughter throughout Australia. Her Facebook posts delight readers with humor that describes her everyday life. She is an active member of the AATH Humor Academy. More information about Roberts and her work is found in Chapter 7 about her intriguing humor practice with prisoners in the Land Down Under.
As the Chief Happiness Officer of Australia's leading "Health and Wellbeing through Laughter and Humour" organization I provide a range of flexible workshops and presentations designed to assist individuals and organizations discover the proven and wide ranging benefits of having a little more fun, humor, and laughter in their every day. My clients range from the smallest community groups to the biggest multi-national corporations and include those in the health, education, and even the prison sectors.
Research shows that we learn more effectively when we're having fun, and humor forms the base for everything I do. There's nothing better than getting a group laughing and learning as soon as the program begins; they're immediately engaged and they give me so much humor energy.
People love to feel engaged, to be acknowledged, to feel they are a part of what's going on, that they aren't just there to listen. Audience participation is a big part of my programs (there are even prizes for the best answers or comments shared during our time together). My favorite response is when a client tells me how surprised they were to see everyone participating. Humor is just so engaging. A recent review read, "You had them eating out of the palm of your hand, and this group are normally too distracted to give speakers the time of day." My only marketing tool is "word of mouth" recommendations and a full diary of bookings is the best reaction a presenter can get.
Not everyone agrees with what I have to share so I make sure I have the facts on hand, know the research, can respond effectively and with respect and humor, and that I acknowledge the place even the most difficult humordoomer is in. Dazzle 'em with science and be respectful—it usually works.
The greatest asset I have is the network of the AATH. AATH gives me a chance to learn and grow from some of the best in the laughter and humor fields. Whether it's humor presentation skills or laughter and humor research, there is no better place to be than AATH.
Bronwyn Roberts
Australia Corporate Health Programs, Laughter Yoga leader
Kathy Passanisi will make you laugh so hard that you will cry. She is past president of AATH, a keynote speaker at several conferences, and a Life-time Achievement Award winner. Kathy is recipient of the National Speakers Association Council of Peers Award of Excellence (Speaker Hall of Fame). She is an author who is passionate about bringing laughter and joy to others. Her business, New Perspectives, reflects her enthusiasm, as does this commentary that she wrote for this book
I have been into humor and laughter from the time I was a young kid. I never wanted to be Miss America—I wanted to be Lucille Ball or Carol Burnett. Comedy, humor, and laughter are just built into my nature.
I have been a licensed physical therapist since 1972. In all my years as a clinician, I used humor with my patients, the doctors, families, and staff. It was a great stress reliever as well as team builder. I used to put on a show at Shri-ners Hospital every year and dress all the doctors as bridesmaids or fairies (big hulking orthopedists). It was the great humanizer for all levels of staff to come together and laugh.
In my role as physical therapist I had to do painful things to kids. In order to get results, I had to hurt them for weeks on end. Making the experience fun and funny was the motivation to keep them coming.
I started my speaking business, New Perspectives, on April Fool's Day, 1987. I have been a professional presenter ever since, working in quality of life issues. Although I speak on "Life Balance," the "Science of Happiness," "Stress Management," "Coping with Change," and "Surviving the Sandwich Generation," I can say that the programs I do involving the therapeutic benefits of laughter, humor, and mirth have been my greatest joy.
I usually work as a keynote speaker. An auditorium with 1,000 people laughing is as good as it gets. But sometimes, it is just me and 50 aerospace engineers or pothole repair crews. I have taught the therapeutic use of humor to rocket scientists, the Department of Defense, the FBI Forensic Crime Lab directors, major medical centers, universities, thousands of health care professionals, educators, the National Institutes of Health, the military, mortgage bankers, attorneys, patient groups, insurance companies, the travel industry, married couples, and cattle vets. The list is endless. My target audience is "adults who are still breathing." My favorite field is women's health (but don't tell my male clients).
In addition to keynoting I also offer breakouts and workshops. I have done some corporate consulting regarding improving morale and service. I've written two books and am a contributing author to a third.
No matter what topic I am speaking on, I use humor and laughter to engage the audience and connect to whatever stressors they are dealing with. Although I never tell jokes from the platform (they probably already heard them—and I can't remember them anyway), I use stories to help me make my points and make sure they are memorable. It puts the audience at ease and helps them let down their barriers. I find they are much more receptive to my advice because they can relate to me. Humor and laughter humanize me and make me seem more approachable to them.
I have had people tell me the most incredible things over the years. Last spring, a woman came up to me with tears in her eyes. I couldn't tell if they were "happy tears" or "sad tears." She said it was a combination of the two because this was the first time she had laughed in two years since her 19-year-old daughter was killed in Iraq. Wow! I worked with people dealing with the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Ike, people who have lost homes, people who are really ill, and some who are dying. They all need and want to laugh. It's such a great coping skill.
I have to say, I also use humor with my clients as we work together to plan their events. I want to be a walking advertisement for my product and I want them to enjoy the process. It's great for business.
Kathy Passanisi
Speaker, medical professional, author
Susan Sparks writes about her journey in using humor as a minister in her book Laugh Your Way to Grace. Susan has a great blog and website. Her story is one of using humor in her ministry and from the pulpit. She is a former lawyer and comedian. She shares her uplifting experiences with her congregations. She has been invited to be the first AATH Humor Academy Commencement speaker. She has been a popular keynote speaker for many organizations including AATH. As shared on her website,
The theme that runs through my work is humor and healing. I believe laughter is the GPS system for the soul. Humor offers a revolutionary, yet simple, spiritual paradigm: If you can laugh at yourself, you can forgive yourself. And if you can forgive yourself, you can forgive others.
In this personal and funny look at humor as a spiritual practice, Rev. Susan Sparks—an ex-lawyer turned comedian and Baptist minister—presents a convincing case that the power of humor radiates far beyond punch lines.
Susan Sparks
Minister, author, lawyer, comedian
Have you ever met a therapeutic clown while in a hospital setting? Of course you have already met Fif Fernanães (Jumpa), who works with Cheryl Oberg (Sparkles) as a therapeutic clown at Alberta Children's Hospital in Canada. They both are involved with the AATH clowning program. Oberg and Danny Donuts organized the AATH 2011 Clown on Down, a therapeutic clown outreach program. Becky Cortino has also volunteered for this program in AATH and is a caring clown who has worked with Charlie Chaplin's volunteer hospital clowning program. She has written numerous articles about applied humor in the health care setting. All of these folks are serious about bringing the laughter of clowning to those in pain.
Kathy Keaton is "Piccolo the Clown" and a favorite speaker in Texas. In 2003 Kathy started the first Hospital Humor Therapy Program in West Texas. Weekly she delivers her caring and compassionate clowning throughout the halls of San Angelo Community Medical Center. "Piccolo" also makes monthly visits to the Children's Miracle Network children at Shannon Medical Center and often volunteers time for hospice and other nonprofit organizations. Kathy is a member of AATH and of the Humor Academy.
The Therapeutic Clown/Hospital Humor Therapist is a specialty area of clowning, more calm and gentle type of clowning than that of the circus clown or birthday clown most are familiar with. I recently performed my clown presentation "Clowns Cry Too" for eighty-five children at a grief camp near Austin, TX. Each child had lost someone they love—(some were military children from Ft. Hood). Doing activities and sharing with others brings normalcy to their lives. My presentation isn't humorous but a gentle sharing of feelings associated with loss.
I do have a time to be interactive with fun before and after the presentation. "Clowns Cry Too" helps the children view their feelings through the eyes of a clown. They observe we all have sadness in our lives—no matter who we are or what we do. They also learn their feelings are normal and similar. The counselors are able use my examples throughout the week of camping to help the children share and identify their feelings of loss and sadness.
I entertained children at our local rehabilitation camp—it was 105 degrees! The children are all outpatients of the rehabilitation center and swim, paint, fish, and so forth each day for five days. I ride on a hay wagon along with a guitar player and singer. I play my kazoo-za-phone while the children sing familiar songs on their way to the horse barn. I also do magic, sight gags, and improv and just play around with the children while they are waiting to ride horses or pet goats and other baby animals. I've done it since 1980.
Finally, I make regular weekly hospital visitations and a visit to the children's cancer clinic. During my "clown rounds" I discovered the father of one of my favorite cancer patients had been admitted with a heart attack. I was able to entertain him for a change—the family was happy to see me there—like I was an old friend. He has recovered and is doing much better.
Kathy Keaton
Therapeutic clown, humor therapist, author
Heather Wanãeīl is founder of Another Way to See It and provides workshops to "transform the way we see things." She has extensive experience in older-adult day programming and actively pursues the science of mind teachings through the Center for Spiritual Living. AATH has benefitted from her generous volunteer work. She has written several books and articles on humor. Heather is currently living in Abu Dhabi and shares some of her humor and laughter experiences from that country.
I have found humor to help me through some of the darkest moments of my life. The timely intervention of humor, when I feel like a situation is just unbearable, gives me the strength and courage to carry on. It gives me hope that I will be able to get through it. I have seen it work for others, as well. It doesn't have to be a joke that invites laughter.
Just the other day, I was at the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, where there are several Indonesian women living because they were battered by their bosses. They are not able to leave the country because the boss is still holding on to their passports. These women have suffered through some horrible situations and are living in very crowded quarters. They cannot leave the embassy itself until their situation gets sorted out. I was one of a group of four volunteers that day who did some exercises and dance movements with them. The laughter and the smiles that came from us all just having fun together and making silly faces when we couldn't quite get a move right was incredible. We didn't even speak the same language. We were just knowing that life was humorous and fun at that very moment. It appeared that suffering had vanished from that room, at least for the time we spent together.
Heather Wandell
Speaker, author, laughter leader
Humor is universal. Numerous organizations around the world serve others by building playgrounds, clowning, and working in a variety of fields. It has been an invaluable experience to teach students from Brazil, Canada, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia, and the United States in the AATH Humor Academy classes. Teaching workshops in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Turkey has been a privilege. People around the world are sharing humor research and applications of humor to benefit others. There are cultural differences, of course, and it behooves one to research and understand the folklore of other countries when working with their residents. One of our AATH speakers from China told stories about being punished as a child for having a sense of humor. His mission in attending the AATH conference was to bring humor back to China.
These folks are making a significant difference in the world. You can too!
For you to experience success, it's imperative that you clearly understand and articulate your goals when initiating humor in your place of work. Remember humorphobia and humordoomers do exist. When you focus on the purpose of humor applications, it makes it easier to assist others in the process. Please feel free to incorporate these research-based rationales for why humor can and should be integrated into your living. Here is a quick review of the benefits of humor that were highlighted earlier in this book. Think about how humor can be applied in every career and job situation.
Imagine how you can use humor to:
The next chapter is devoted to those who serve as leaders in their organizations and in their workplace. It will give additional ideas on ways to implement your humor practice as a facilitator and guide.
Don't be discouraged if your initial attempt at integrating humor feels strange or doesn't go very well. As mentioned throughout this book, many workplace cultures often don't encourage humor initiation and practice. In fact, you may fear being reprimanded for having fun. Because of these obstacles, your organization or place of work might limit the feasibility of initiating humor practice. For instance, if there is a rule against office parties, you probably won't be able to organize a Hawaiian day. However, I strongly encourage you to try on your humor persona, be as daring as possible, and play and have some fun.
Humor is at work everywhere. Thanks to my colleagues for the stories of people using humor in counseling and with trauma victims, at funerals and with the mentally ill, with those who have been abused, and with those who have suffered incredible loss. The courage of those who have been willing to share their humor journeys for this book is inspirational. As you read about these experiences, connect with your courage and bring your spirit of humor, laughter, play, and fun to your world of work. Feel free to use this book as a study guide for your colleagues who also want to create a trust-filled environment that is both productive and fun.
Discussion questions: How can positive emotionality become embedded in your culture? If the leadership in the organization changes, what implications will this have for a focus on humergy? How can positive changes be sustained?
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. . . . I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
