How often do you smile? While smiling may be the last thing we feel like doing at times, especially when we’re feeling stressed or in pain, it can actually do us a lot of good at precisely those times when we feel least like it. Simply moving your facial muscles in one direction over another activates your body in such a way that your entire state of emotion can change almost instantly. All you need to do is be willing to stop taking yourself so seriously and SMILE.
Why don’t you try a little experiment right here, right now? First, allow yourself to be still for a moment. Next, take a deep breath and then allow the muscles in your face to relax and smile your best smile. Become aware of how you feel just by smiling. Now frown and feel the change in your body and your emotional state. Feel the difference? Motivational speaker Les Giblin said, “If you’re not wearing your smile, you’re like a man with a million dollars in the bank and no checkbook.”
Smile as often as you remember. Did you know that it is the second most contagious facial expression after yawning? It will nullify negativity and open you up to a much warmer feeling, something akin to benevolent self-acceptance.
You can laugh on purpose.
Some people find this practice a bit uncomfortable because they are used to laughing more spontaneously, but in reality their body doesn’t know the difference. That’s right, you don’t know the difference and it produces ‘happiness’ chemicals anyway, so why not give it a try? You could even get a little more creative and try it in different ways like lion laugh, mouse laugh, bird laugh, donkey laugh, monkey … if you are brave enough! Women tend to laugh in a more “sing-song” way, while men grunt or snort more often. Some great benefits include instant relaxation, which often ensures a good night’s sleep, boosts the immune system, and counteracts stress, depression, and anxiety.
Take a look at this data if you need more proof of the benefits. It has been calculated that children laugh on average about 500 times a day and when we become adults we laugh only 15 times and in hospitals it drops to almost zero. How serious can we get? Laughter researcher Dr. William Fry suggests that 100 laughs a day equals 10 minutes on a rowing machine! What a fun way to get an aerobic workout and tone your muscles. 15 minutes of laughter has the relaxing effect of meditating for 8 hours, 10 minutes of laughter has the relaxing effect of 2 hours of sleep.
Laughing or smiling not only relaxes us and brings feelings of happiness and joy, it can even help us gain new insights. It is much easier to think creatively about a problem than when we focus on feeling helpless, worthless or inadequate, easier to talk about any uncomfortable topic or concern when there is humor in it.
Humor and love, laughter and a big smile are the origin of Clown Therapy, opening up to innocent fun and laughing at things that go wrong, being the eternal optimist. Compassion, joy, love, and humor are essential for a healthy life. Why do we call a funny person “the LIFE of the party”? Think about it. Laughter brings a happy glow to your face and makes your eyes sparkle. I think that is what makes children so charming when they laugh, they have such wonderful bright eyes. Dr. Thomas Sydenham, a 17th century physician, stated that:
“The arrival of a good clown influences the health of a town more beneficially than twenty donkeys loaded with drugs.”
Imagine army generals quitting the “war room” and going into a “love and humor” room to think about an end to the violence. At the Pentagon, US Army Reserve Colonel James Scott runs laughter shows as a way to deal with stress in the families of soldiers serving in foreign war zones. He said. “When you laugh, the brain stops thinking. It is a proven way to maintain mental balance.” Laughter is considered a viable preventive technique for coping with stress.
I believe that fun is as important as love and both are more important than anger or fear in terms of living a long, healthy and happy life.