Smile! It Makes You Feel Good!

Did you know that separate from expressing an emotion, smiling creates a biological response in your body?  When we smile, it releases natural pain killers, endorphins and serotonin, all of those feel-good chemicals. This creates a little bit of a chicken-and-egg scenario: am I smiling because I feel good, or do I feel good because I'm smiling? The answer is...yes!

In my 8-week Let's Get Happy workshop, one of the homework assignments is to smile every hour, every day. Participants set an alarm on their phone or watch to remind them, then they smile when the alarm goes off! Since smiling releases those good chemicals, everyone's general state of happiness is raised by smiling on a very regular basis.

Smiling also increases the happiness level of those around you. Studies have shown that when you smile at someone, their brain "smiles" back at you, even if their face doesn't! In other words, the same chemicals are released as if they had actually smiled. Isn't that cool?! So not only are you helping yourself by smiling more often, but you are helping others, as well.

Over time, smiling even when there's nothing in particular to smile at becomes a habit, and you will maintain that higher level of happiness.

Give it a try! There's nothing to lose, and you will end up feeling happier!

Laura Allan, MA, LMHC, CPC 
Certified Happiness Coach
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Laura@LauraAllanCounseling.com