Humour as a Coping Strategy of Employees in Remote Workspaces and Social Media Communication During the Covid-19

Covid-19 has put a mental strain on many people globally in the short- and long-term perspective. It is extremely important to stay mentally healthy in times of pandemic challenges during social distancing, repeated lockdowns and social isolation, remote work, and home office and home-schooling practices. Humour is a coping strategy to deal with difficult situations and has a positive effect on mental health and well-being. This study uses a qualitative design and a hermeneutical research paradigm to explore the humour used in the professional WhatsApp communications of colleagues working in a consultancy organisation in Gauteng, South Africa, during a hard lockdown in March and April 2020. Findings show that humour was used to cope with the highly challenging situation of working remotely during these times. Humour could be identified in terms of five themes: women professionals and work–life challenges, individual change from professional to “savage”, new lifestyles, marital relationships during social isolation, and the cure of Covid-19. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations for future research and practice are given.