By Sharyn Cunneen
Smiling and laughing can bring more joy to your life and those around you. A forced smile can be as beneficial as a genuine smile. It is really difficult to think a negative thought when smiling. Try it. Soon, your “fake” smile will send signals to your brain telling you that all is well in your world.
Often, if we see someone smiling, it automatically makes us smile too as it is extremely contagious.
A smile brings you closer to a laugh, and laughter has many physical and psychological benefits. These include releasing tension, lowering stress hormones, boosting the immune system, increasing confidence, releasing endorphins and giving you an internal workout.
There are many ways to include more smiling and laughing in your day. Saying “eee” for a few minutes forms a smile on your face, sending a signal to your brain that you are happy. This is also the vowel sound for the crown chakra, which connects you to the ultimate source of joy.
Laughing with friends, watching funny movies, going to comedy clubs and laughter yoga classes are all easy ways to promote laughter in your day. Humans are naturally social beings and smiling at each other can help us to feel connected to and accepted by others. A simple smile can be spread from one person to another across many miles, brightening up many people’s day. Choose to smile and laugh for a day and observe the effects for yourself.
