Updated on 04/20/2020, 2:00 PM EST
Important Survey
The Business Continuity Planning Team is looking for your help as we prepare our return-to-the-office plans.
Please note that the company has not yet set “return-to-the-office” dates for those working remotely, however, your participation in this survey is helping us consider potential plans accordingly.
We will communicate regarding return-to-the-office plans for remote workers as updates are available.
Click here to access the survey.
“You can’t deny laughter; when it comes, it plops down in your favorite chair and stays as long as it wants.” – Author Stephen King
Using Humor to Cope with the Coronavirus
During challenging times throughout history, people have often turned to humor as a means to cope. Archaeologists found that as far back as ancient Egyptian, soldiers returning from battle used humor as a coping mechanism.
In this upside-down world of the coronavirus pandemic, turning to humor can help manage some of the stress that comes with non-stop news, social distancing and virtual schooling.
In an interview for Time magazine, Los Angeles comedian Erica Rhodes said that laughter is more than medicine, it’s survival. “Laughter is a symbol of hope, and it becomes one of our greatest needs of life, right up there with toilet paper,” she said. “It’s a physical need people have. You can’t underestimate how it heals people and gives them hope.”
Laughter – during challenging times – gives people the ability to connect and a sense of power over a common enemy.
In the same article, Boston stress management consultant Loretta LaRoche reports she uses humor to help her clients cope with the stress of the pandemic. According to LaRoche, people have 60,000 thoughts in a day, and many can be upsetting. “Laughter helps the brain relax.”
What’s Acceptable; What’s Not
Let’s start with humor that’s unacceptable during the coronavirus pandemic.
Stay away from humor that’s too dark or in bad taste; topics such as suffering or death should be avoided. Also avoid being flippant, dismissive or glib, which can be seen as trying to escape from reality.
It’s fair game to poke fun at quarantining and social distancing. And self-deprecating humor is also safe.
But it’s also important to remember that not everyone will find the same things humorous.
Want a quick laughter break? Click here for a coronavirus parody on YouTube, set to the tune of Bare Naked Ladies’ “One Week.”
Click here to read more about using humor to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
Six Ways to Add Humor to Your Life
- Share something silly about yourself with a friend
- Laugh at yourself
- Watch a funny TV show with your quarantine buddy
- Help others realize it’s OK to laugh at themselves
- Watch a recording of a comedian’s live show on a streaming service
- Find humor in something serious
Clicking third-party links will open a new tab and will take you away from AmeriLife.com. AmeriLife does not control the linked sites’ content or link.
