Smiling

April 6, 2010 · Posted in Health 99 views

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Here’s a little exercise I use sometimes to give myself a mood lift. It’s especially useful in heavy traffic. Think of something that makes you smile. Not something that is funny and makes you laugh, but something that made you happy. Perhaps it’s a childhood memory. Perhaps it’s remembering a great moment with a pet. Or maybe it’s the first time you saw the love of your life. However you choose, find that special, genuine smile of happiness. Once you have it, hold on to it. If it was a big smile, let go of some of it until you have just a slight grin. Keep this expression on your face willfully, even after the moment of remembering has passed.

Now observe everything through the faint hint of smile. Did someone cut in front of you? A little bigger smile. It’s a shame they’re so stressed. Too bad they can’t be smiling right now like me, right?

Your face might not be used to smiling for a long time, so don’t try and keep it so long it becomes uncomfortable. The more you practice, however, the longer you can smile. We know facial expressions often reflect how we feel, and this connection can go both ways. How we feel can be affected by our facial expressions.

When I was a child, I listened to a song that said “laugh, laugh, laugh, and the whole world laughs with you. Smile, smile, smile, and the sun keeps shining, too!“. When you smile, it changes how you feel. The way you feel affects how you see things and how you respond to them.

This simple, FREE exercise can help you avoid stress and actually leave you feeling more energetic instead of being emotionally drained by anger and frustration.

Tags: laugh, smile, stress, stress relief