I don’t think I have laughed as much as I have this week in a long time. I’m fairly certain that it is not because something was truly funny. I have been reading article after article on how leaders need to lead during this crisis. Everyone has a perspective on effective leadership.
What I haven’t read this week is how to laugh during crisis.
Absurd, right?
Our team has a virtual standup every morning. We are trying to stay focused – move things forward – innovate, and ultimately connect.
The other morning it felt absurd. As we discussed this week feeling like drinking from a water hose, I began to laugh. I looked at their faces – connecting to the feeling of gratitude and some desperation. I had also just gotten off a call with a friend that had lost their job. It all felt so absurd. How could this be happening?
Suddenly, I began to laugh. I’m certain my team thought that I had lost it – and in a way, I had. As the laughter started, one by one, we all began to laugh. We laughed for what was a matter of seconds, yet it felt suspended in time. The laughter connected us – it helped to relieve some of the tension of the week. It felt good.
Renee Garfinkel, PhD, reminds us that laugher “turns up our immune system along with our endorphins. We know that laughter makes us happy, but we don’t have to be happy to laugh.”
That same day – in the privacy of my office – I also began to cry. Some might say I sobbed for just a minute.
How could I have such a wonderful connection with my team that morning and such a deeply felt sadness that afternoon?
You may be feeling or experiencing the same feelings. The clients that I am coaching virtually seem to be doing okay with their children at home, until they realize that the home schooling is going to be longer than we all thought. They may also be experiencing laughter and tears.
The person that wanted to find a different profession and was searching – only to find out that the safety net of their current job is now gone – may also be having moments of laughter and tears. They are free, but where will they go?
Laughter and tears. They are the spout on the teakettle that let’s out the steam and allows us to move forward. How are you releasing your steam? What is making you laugh and/or cry?
Let’s normalize the feelings – embrace the laughter – welcome the tears. You aren’t alone.
