Reasons to Be Cheerful
Have you ever heard of Harvey Ball? Probably not...
but you will certainly be aware of his world famous design.
Ball was the creator of the 'smiley' - the yellow circle with the simple two eyes and smiling mouth that we all know so well.
The smiley made Ball a very rich man but he became concerned with the over-commercialisation of the image and so he created World Smile Day...
one day of the year when everyone, regardless of race, political beliefs, religion or geography should simply smile.
He decided that it should fall on the first Friday in October each year, so this year; World Smile Day is on Friday 2nd October.
Smiling has many benefits...
read on to find out more.
Reasons to be cheerful...
1, 2, 3 1.
Smiling Can Make You Happy.
It's true! You don't just smile when you're happy.
Making yourself smile - even if you don't feel that you have a reason too - forces your body to release chemicals which will make you feel happier almost immediately.
If you don't believe me, try it right now and see for yourself.
Don't worry about feeling a bit daft - the payoff is worth it! You feel it, can't you? So now you have an 'instant' tool to lift your mood.
2.
A Smile Makes You Feel More Positive, doesn't it? As we've just demonstrated, simply smiling can alter your state of mind which has a lot more benefits that simply giving you a 'feel good' moment.
If you're feeling down, everything suddenly feels like more hard work or an effort, but when you're in a better mood, tasks or situations don't feel so daunting, do they? If you're nervous, anxious, fed up, angry or miserable, try the smile and lift your own mood.
You are actually taking charge and changing your emotional state.
Once you have done that, you can look at everything in a more positive way and your actions and relationships will improve.
3.
Your Smile Can Change Other People Too.
Just think back to a time when you have had an interaction with somebody who was really down or unhappy.
How did that make you feel? Tired? Drained? Wiped out? Probably all of those things! Now remember a time when you spent time with a friend or acquaintance who was cheerful, smiling and positive.
Didn't that feel better? You probably came away more energised and ready to take action over any number of tasks.
That's' the positive power of smiling.
Just as you were positively affected by someone else's smile - you have the power to do that for someone else.
And when you do, something magical will happen.
The smile that you give out will come right back at you...
and it will make you feel good.
Don't just take my word for it - a study in Sweden in 2002 involved showing pictures of people frowning and others smiling to test subjects.
The subjects found it easy to frown at the frowning pictures and to smile at the smiling ones...
but they found it almost impossible to frown at the smiling ones! The other major benefit of smiling is that you will find people easier to deal with because they will feel more relaxed in your company.
This will lead to more positive interactions and will open up possibilities that may otherwise have not been there for you.
How cool is that - or is it just me? 4.
It Takes More Muscles To Frown Than Smile.
Hmm, the jury's still out on that one but I will run with it.
Why? Well, although it's been a popular saying for years, there is no medical evidence to support this.
However, a habitual expression does end up leaving its mark on your face.
Take a look at some faces the next time you're out and about.
Some people have deeply etched 'down' lines around their mouth.
This means that even when they're happy, they tend to look miserable.
To avoid this, try and be aware of your expression and if you feel the ends of your mouth drooping, make a conscious effort to raise them up.
What if you could train yourself to do this? You can! Just keep reminding yourself to be aware of your expression and change it if it slips.
It will soon become second nature and you won't have to think about it any more - and those smiling benefits will just keep on coming...
not least, a lack of unattractive 'down' lines by your mouth.
Looking happier and better will improve your self-esteem and therefore boost your confidence.
5.
Smiling Makes You Healthier.
It's true! Studies have proved that people who smile regularly tend to be more optimistic about their lives.
Not only that, they also have stronger immune systems and that helps them to fight off illnesses.
The studies also showed that these folks are more likely to eat nutritious food, get lots of sleep, and enjoy taking exercise and spending time with friends.
All of that, due to smiling more! If it sounds a bit far fetched, just think of a time when you have been really low - don't you feel rotten physically too? So how about smiling and see what a difference it can make today, this week, this month, this year...
what a difference it can make to your life! MY TOP 5 TIPS ON SMILING TO HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE IN ANY SITUATION 1.
Make Yourself Happy With A Smile.
2.
Smile To Feel More Positive.
3.
Smile And Change The Way People React To You.
4.
Train Yourself To Look Happier - And Keep Reaping Those Benefits.
5.
Smile Your Way To A Healthier Life.
but you will certainly be aware of his world famous design.
Ball was the creator of the 'smiley' - the yellow circle with the simple two eyes and smiling mouth that we all know so well.
The smiley made Ball a very rich man but he became concerned with the over-commercialisation of the image and so he created World Smile Day...
one day of the year when everyone, regardless of race, political beliefs, religion or geography should simply smile.
He decided that it should fall on the first Friday in October each year, so this year; World Smile Day is on Friday 2nd October.
Smiling has many benefits...
read on to find out more.
Reasons to be cheerful...
1, 2, 3 1.
Smiling Can Make You Happy.
It's true! You don't just smile when you're happy.
Making yourself smile - even if you don't feel that you have a reason too - forces your body to release chemicals which will make you feel happier almost immediately.
If you don't believe me, try it right now and see for yourself.
Don't worry about feeling a bit daft - the payoff is worth it! You feel it, can't you? So now you have an 'instant' tool to lift your mood.
2.
A Smile Makes You Feel More Positive, doesn't it? As we've just demonstrated, simply smiling can alter your state of mind which has a lot more benefits that simply giving you a 'feel good' moment.
If you're feeling down, everything suddenly feels like more hard work or an effort, but when you're in a better mood, tasks or situations don't feel so daunting, do they? If you're nervous, anxious, fed up, angry or miserable, try the smile and lift your own mood.
You are actually taking charge and changing your emotional state.
Once you have done that, you can look at everything in a more positive way and your actions and relationships will improve.
3.
Your Smile Can Change Other People Too.
Just think back to a time when you have had an interaction with somebody who was really down or unhappy.
How did that make you feel? Tired? Drained? Wiped out? Probably all of those things! Now remember a time when you spent time with a friend or acquaintance who was cheerful, smiling and positive.
Didn't that feel better? You probably came away more energised and ready to take action over any number of tasks.
That's' the positive power of smiling.
Just as you were positively affected by someone else's smile - you have the power to do that for someone else.
And when you do, something magical will happen.
The smile that you give out will come right back at you...
and it will make you feel good.
Don't just take my word for it - a study in Sweden in 2002 involved showing pictures of people frowning and others smiling to test subjects.
The subjects found it easy to frown at the frowning pictures and to smile at the smiling ones...
but they found it almost impossible to frown at the smiling ones! The other major benefit of smiling is that you will find people easier to deal with because they will feel more relaxed in your company.
This will lead to more positive interactions and will open up possibilities that may otherwise have not been there for you.
How cool is that - or is it just me? 4.
It Takes More Muscles To Frown Than Smile.
Hmm, the jury's still out on that one but I will run with it.
Why? Well, although it's been a popular saying for years, there is no medical evidence to support this.
However, a habitual expression does end up leaving its mark on your face.
Take a look at some faces the next time you're out and about.
Some people have deeply etched 'down' lines around their mouth.
This means that even when they're happy, they tend to look miserable.
To avoid this, try and be aware of your expression and if you feel the ends of your mouth drooping, make a conscious effort to raise them up.
What if you could train yourself to do this? You can! Just keep reminding yourself to be aware of your expression and change it if it slips.
It will soon become second nature and you won't have to think about it any more - and those smiling benefits will just keep on coming...
not least, a lack of unattractive 'down' lines by your mouth.
Looking happier and better will improve your self-esteem and therefore boost your confidence.
5.
Smiling Makes You Healthier.
It's true! Studies have proved that people who smile regularly tend to be more optimistic about their lives.
Not only that, they also have stronger immune systems and that helps them to fight off illnesses.
The studies also showed that these folks are more likely to eat nutritious food, get lots of sleep, and enjoy taking exercise and spending time with friends.
All of that, due to smiling more! If it sounds a bit far fetched, just think of a time when you have been really low - don't you feel rotten physically too? So how about smiling and see what a difference it can make today, this week, this month, this year...
what a difference it can make to your life! MY TOP 5 TIPS ON SMILING TO HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE IN ANY SITUATION 1.
Make Yourself Happy With A Smile.
2.
Smile To Feel More Positive.
3.
Smile And Change The Way People React To You.
4.
Train Yourself To Look Happier - And Keep Reaping Those Benefits.
5.
Smile Your Way To A Healthier Life.
Source...