One of the first things I explored in psychotherapy during my early recovery was my tendency to always use humor when I brought up painful things that had happened or were happening in my life. I couldn't seem to not make a joke when discussing sensitive issues.
It was disheartening to feel—at first—like that was a bad thing. I really preferred to think that my life was just unusually amusing.
My therapist helped me to understand that, although using humor was the way I deflected or postponed feeling discomfort and pain, I didn't need to judge my doing so as a bad thing. It was, she helped me to understand, a coping mechanism.
I just needed to recognize it for what it was—a delay tactic. Today, I try not to hide in humor when I'm processing hard things, but old habits die hard.
I take note when I make something painful out to be funny and remind myself that I need to dig a little deeper and get to the real feelings beneath the matter. Making light of heavy things in my life is a protective reflex; it's okay for laughter to precede tears.