Guest Column: Down The Memory Lane..

Volume 6 Issue 4 April 2016

Smile, laughter and humor are the best medicine!

In every psychiatrist life, there are many cases, problems, conflicts or situations which are really taxing! The one lesson I have learnt is use of smile or laughter to take care of them. I have come across quite a few of my colleagues who feel that the medical practice, in general and the psychiatric practice, in particular are a serious business and it has no role for humor. Rather they suggest that medicine entails double lives – professional and personal. They believe that it may even be anti-therapeutic and unbecoming of a doctor! The life’s journey has shown that those who use their ‘smile’ in
interaction and humor in their dealings have invariably done well in their life and career. My wife and daughter believe that there is something wrong when there is less ‘monkeying’ by me at home. I try to use it as a routine in practice and can vouch for its effectiveness. The same principle applied to work – life and it surely helps in balancing! As once told by our ‘Swamy’ it helps break barriers, builds empathy, reduces conflicts, improves communication and makes us humane! My only advice ‘the second best thing you can do with your lips is smile!’. So also always light the atmosphere with humor – it works wonders!.