Did you hear the one about the employer who at some date in the future looked at a job applicants resume and said, Theres a gap in your CV. What were you doing in 2020?
I was washing my hands, the job applicant replied.
Or maybe you saw the TikTok meme of a toilet next to a roll of toilet paper that is bigger than the wheel of a car.
Or the Facebook video Coronavirus Rhapsody, set to the tune of Bohemian Rhapsody, Queens signature song. The lyrics begin: Is this a fever? Is this just allergies? Caught in a lockdown. No escape from the family.
Maybe you saw the tweet that said, Due to quarantining, Im only telling inside jokes.
Or another tweet based on a classic joke:
Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?
A: SOCIAL DISTANCING. STAY AT LEAST 6 FT FROM THE OTHER CHICKENS!
Those last two appeared on a thread started by Megan L. Ranney, an emergency medicine physician at Rhode Island Hospital and associate professor of health services, policy and practice, and emergency medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Ranney is more than busy these days, but she deems a moment or two of levity essential.
Should we laugh, or cry? is how Ranney began on Friday. Today I feel like we need the former. So I'm starting a thread of #COVID19 jokes, inspired by @jbauerme and my own kids. Please add on. Q: Why doesn't anyone in Antarctica have COVID19? A: Because they're ice-o-lated.
The thread took off, just as dark humor has across the internet and elsewhere during the coronavirus pandemic.
Which is little surprise. During these dark times, as in dark times before (albeit never so dark as now), laughter can prove to be, well, good medicine.
In the midst of this pandemic, we're surrounded by dire forecasts of the future, Ranney told The Journal. We're worrying about our kids and our parents and even ourselves. Although it's important to acknowledge our fears, sometimes it's also useful to distract ourselves! We're in a marathon, not a sprint and finding little moments of humor and distraction can help us keep going. Comedy is perhaps MORE valuable in times of fear, than in times of plenty.
Whether through social media or informal group text chats that coworkers have newly created, we are finding something funny about toilet paper shortages, work-from-home attire and a parade of conference calls, Michelle P. Taylor, director of outpatient, HIV services and the Opioid Center of Excellence at the Woonsocket-based Community Care Alliance, told The Journal.
Laughter creates a sense of social connectedness, making us feel less alone. The release of endorphins calms the spirit, mind and body, reducing stress and warding off anxiety and depression. Even better, laughter bolsters the immune system, a real advantage in the face of COVID-19. Gallows humor is an effective way of coping with a really difficult situation and demonstrates positive thinking, creativity and resilience.
Brandon Gaudiano, a clinical psychologist at Butler Hospital and associate professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School, said: Laughter might not technically be the best medicine to fight the coronavirus, but it certainly will make the social isolation and cabin fever stemming from this pandemic a lot more bearable.
Research shows that laughter can lower the body's stress reactions and lift your mood, at least temporarily. The coronavirus can't keep us from having fun, because we can still laugh and joke with friends and family while social distancing. Laughter's biggest benefit is that it helps foster social bonds, by allowing us to see the humor in our shared experiences, even the negative ones. That can help us all to stay connected even in times like this.
Why humor during COVID-19? Why not is more like it, said Jamie Lehane, president and CEO of Newport Mental Health. Laughter relaxes us, relieves stress and tension and releases endorphins that just makes us feel better for up to 45 minutes after a good laugh. Laughter decreases stress hormones like cortisol and boosts your immune system.
Another critical benefit of laughter we need right now is that it is an effective way to defuse anger. Being cooped up with family members where there are sometimes tumultuous relationships under normal circumstances is exacerbated when we are forced together for hours, days and weeks. Humor is a way to release some of the anger and reduce interpersonal conflict. Most importantly, it is a way to connect with others and feel bonded with each other.
We sure need this in such trying times.
How badly?
The answer might be found in Coronavirus Rhapsody, with lyrics by comedian Dana Jay Bein.
The video posted on Tuesday, March 24.
As of this writing, it had more than 5.2 million views, and climbing.
Freaked out by coronavirus? Heres some expert advice on how to lower the stress.
Questions and Answers about coronavirus.
TO OUR READERS: This content is being provided for free as a public service during the coronavirus outbreak. Sign up for our daily or breaking newsletters to stay informed. Please support local journalism by subscribing to The Providence Journal.
gwmiller@providencejournal.com
(401) 277-7380
On Twitter: @gwaynemiller
Go here to read the rest:
Laughter is a medicine we need right now - The Providence Journal
- Yes, But. The Annotated Atlantic. - November 7th, 2009 [November 7th, 2009]
- Health Insurance Benefit Costs by Region - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- For an Operator, Please Press... - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Pollyanna With a Pen: Maine Governor Signs 18 New Health Care Bills into Law - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- AMA Sounds the Alarm, Medicare Making Yet Another Attempt to Cut Reimbursement - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Mass Governor Asks Blue Cross to Keep Higher Employer Contribution - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Lifespan and Care New England Plan Monopoly (Again) - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Dirigo Health: Con Artists, Liars, and Thieves? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- New Orleans: Health Challenges - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- August a Flurry of Activity - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Maine's Dirigo Health Savings One-Third of Original Estimate - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- “Methodolatry”: My new favorite term for one of the shortcomings of evidence-based medicine - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Suzanne Somers’ Knockout: Dangerous misinformation about cancer (part 1) - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- A science-based blog about GMO - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- A Not-So-Split Decision - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Military Medicine in Iraq - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The effective wordsmithing of Amy Wallace - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- A Science Lesson from a Homeopath and Behavioral Optometrist - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Join CFI in opposing funding mandates for quackery in health care reform - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Mainstreaming Science-Based Medicine: A Novel Approach - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Those who live in glass houses… - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- J.B. Handley of the anti-vaccine group Generation Rescue: Misogynistic attacks on journalists who champion science - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- When homeopaths attack medicine and physics - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The cancer screening kerfuffle erupts again: “Rethinking” screening for breast and prostate cancer - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- All Medicines Are Poison! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- When Loud Wins: Will Your Tax Dollars Pay For Prayer? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- It’s All in Your Head - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Skeptical O.B. joins the Science-Based Medicine crew - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Tragic Death Toll of Homebirth - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- What’s the right C-section rate? Higher than you think. - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Recombinant Human Antithrombin – Milking Nanny Goats for Big Bucks - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Does C-section increase the rate of neonatal death? - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Man in Coma 23 Years – Is He Really Conscious? - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Why Universal Hepatitis B Vaccination Isn’t Quite Universal - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Ontario naturopathic prescribing proposal is bad medicine - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Naturopaths and the anti-vaccine movement: Hijacking the law in service of pseudoscience - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- The Institute for Science in Medicine enters the health care reform fray - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Neti pots – Ancient Ayurvedic Treatment Validated by Scientific Evidence - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Early Intervention for Autism - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- A temporary reprieve from legislative madness - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- A critique of the leading study of American homebirth - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Lose those holiday pounds - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Endocrine disruptors—the one true cause? - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Acupuncture for Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Evidence in Medicine: Experimental Studies - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Midwives and the assault on scientific evidence - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- The Mammogram Post-Mortem - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- An Influenza Recap: The End of the Second Wave - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- The End of Chiropractic - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Cell phones and cancer again, or: Oh, no! My cell phone’s going to give me cancer! (revisited) - December 20th, 2009 [December 20th, 2009]
- Another wrinkle to the USPSTF mammogram guidelines kerfuffle: What about African-American women? - December 20th, 2009 [December 20th, 2009]
- Acupuncture, the P-Value Fallacy, and Honesty - December 20th, 2009 [December 20th, 2009]
- The One True Cause of All Disease - December 20th, 2009 [December 20th, 2009]
- Communicating with the Locked-In - December 20th, 2009 [December 20th, 2009]
- Are the benefits of breastfeeding oversold? - December 20th, 2009 [December 20th, 2009]
- Measles - December 20th, 2009 [December 20th, 2009]
- Radiation from medical imaging and cancer risk - December 21st, 2009 [December 21st, 2009]
- Multiple Sclerosis and Irrational Exuberance - December 21st, 2009 [December 21st, 2009]
- Medical Fun with Christmas Carols - December 22nd, 2009 [December 22nd, 2009]
- Lithium for ALS – Angioplasty for MS - December 23rd, 2009 [December 23rd, 2009]
- “Toxins”: the new evil humours - December 24th, 2009 [December 24th, 2009]
- 2009’s Top 5 Threats To Science In Medicine - December 24th, 2009 [December 24th, 2009]
- Buteyko Breathing Technique – Nothing to Hyperventilate About - December 26th, 2009 [December 26th, 2009]
- The Graston Technique – Inducing Microtrauma with Instruments - December 29th, 2009 [December 29th, 2009]
- The “pharma shill” gambit - December 29th, 2009 [December 29th, 2009]
- Ginkgo biloba – No Effect - December 30th, 2009 [December 30th, 2009]
- Oppose “Big Floss”; practice alternative dentistry - January 1st, 2010 [January 1st, 2010]
- Causation and Hill’s Criteria - January 3rd, 2010 [January 3rd, 2010]
- The life cycle of translational research - January 10th, 2010 [January 10th, 2010]
- The anti-vaccine movement strikes back against Dr. Paul Offit - January 10th, 2010 [January 10th, 2010]
- Osteoporosis Drugs: Good Medicine or Big Pharma Scam? - January 10th, 2010 [January 10th, 2010]
- Acupuncture for Hot Flashes - January 10th, 2010 [January 10th, 2010]
- The case for neonatal circumcision - January 10th, 2010 [January 10th, 2010]
- A victory for science-based medicine - January 10th, 2010 [January 10th, 2010]
- James Ray and testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) - January 10th, 2010 [January 10th, 2010]
- The Water Cure: Another Example of Self Deception and the “Lone Genius” - January 12th, 2010 [January 12th, 2010]
- Be careful what you wish for, Dr. Dossey, you just might get it - January 13th, 2010 [January 13th, 2010]
- You. You. Who are you calling a You You? - January 15th, 2010 [January 15th, 2010]
- The War on Salt - January 16th, 2010 [January 16th, 2010]
- Is breech vaginal delivery safe? - January 16th, 2010 [January 16th, 2010]