Smile fasdfdsfoiueire (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Thrilled to launch our first in The Happy Friday Series post kick off with none other than Peg Fitzpatrick, the most smilingist 12 Moster, blogger, Facebooker, and Twitter peep I have the privilege of knowing. You hang around her and there’s nothing you can do but smile; she imbues positive. See what I mean?
Peggy Fitzpatrick Says:
Which came first the smile or the positive attitude? Did you know that it can go either way? If you’re feeling stressed putting on a smile can actually reduce your heart rate and some studies also suggest that “smiling could reduce levels of cortisol, a stress-related hormone.” (from Simply Smiling link below) This is a case where “fake it ‘til you make it” is relevant.
“Lots of smiling can actually make you healthier. Smiling can help reduce the level of stress-enhancing hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and dopamine; increase the level of mood-enhancing hormones like endorphin; and reduce overall blood pressure.” –Ron Gutman
TED Talk Ron Gutman – The Hidden Power of Smiling
The best thing about a smile is that if you share one with someone else, it almost always comes back to you. When someone smiles at you, your mind makes subtle judgments: they are happy, they like me, they are confident, and things along these lines. Take the opportunity to make a positive impression on others.
“If you want to make a good first impression, smile at people. What does it cost to smile? Nothing. What does it cost not to smile? Everything, if not smiling prevents you from enchanting people.”
? Guy Kawasaki from Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions
“Children smile almost 400 times per day.” This explains why people love to spend time at the park or other places where children run free. Smiling, laughing, and having fun come naturally to children and they look for ways to enhance or repeat things that they enjoy. Sure, kids have much less stress than adults but I defy you not to smile if you go to the park and get on the swing set. It’s still fun but it also probably brings back happy memories of recess and playing with your friends.
Three things that you can do today to bring a smile to your face:
- Watch something positive like Jessica’s Daily Affirmation.
- Listen to happy music, I wrote an article called 12 Most Must-Be Happy Songs if you need some suggestions
- Smile at someone else
So, there you have it, many reasons why you should and can have a smile on your face. What are your favorite ways to make someone else smile?
Resources:
Simply Smiling can Actually Reduce Stress via Smithsonian.com
Related articles
Jayme,
Smiling is contagious, smiling feels good, smiling makes others feel good, smiling costs nothing, smiling buys so much.
Cheers,Marc
@MZazeela Marc, you’re so right. Thanks so much for stopping in to say so. Smiles at you!
My morning smiles start with https://www.awwcute.org/ and https://new.livestream.com/FosterKittenCam/RipleysKittens
@SteelToad Kittens. How about puppies?
I always controlled when, where an why I would smile. I felt like it was a gift to share and I wasn’t giving it for free! That was soooooo many years ago. Now, I can’t imagine NOT smiling!
I loved the TED video. I’d never seen that one. Thanks so much for sharing it! 🙂 🙂 🙂
@BetsyKCross Really? Were you like 13? I can see that! Heh.
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing Probably!
This is great pegfitzpatrick ! I am actually reading a book right now about how much our physiology can determine our emotion. It’s based on psychologist William James’ famous quote “If you want a quality, act as if you already have it.”
The research completely backs up what you are saying – the smile can cause the happiness, as much as the happiness can cause the smile.
@Adam | Customer Experience pegfitzpatrick Maybe you’d like to tell us more in a GP, Adam?
@Adam | Customer Experience Very cool, Adam! The fake it until you make it phrase can work with a smile. Enjoy the book, it sounds great!
I love this blog post, Peg – BIG SMILES : )
Smiling reaches and touches people more effectively than just about anything else you could say or do…
I love the attitude of people who smile a lot!
The best thing, is its infectious…. those people who are attracted join in, and the sour-pusses leave the room – hehe!
Nice way to kick things off, Jayme : )
@Mark_Harai I hope it brought a smile to your face, Mark!
A smile expert 🙂 I have noticed this effect. One of my little tricks to cheer up has always been to smile at a stranger. I can attest, when they smile back at you, it feels very good. There is a whole branch of psychology that does smile studies. My favorite one is where they had people read comics in a newspaper. It is very interesting stuff.
https://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2007/11/27/just-smile-youll-feel-better-w/
@susansilver I think this series is going to take us to new heights…who knew?
Good Morning @pegfitzpatrick and @Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing !! Happy Friday!
Yay… now I’ll be abandoned till ya’ll come back to me on Monday! LOL, we don’t have “days of the week” here in the mountains.. Well, my smile this morning was that I finished Friday Facts before the day it was due! Ha…I may have over-reached but everything….. EVERYTHING just always seems to come together, if I just keep going, keep asking, keep trying.
A smile DOES make all the difference. I have seen it, like all of you have, I have felt it too, when I am down or just feeling beat up and drained. A total stranger with a smile in passing, a gentle, smile from a clerk at a store or gas station, a smile as someone holds a door open for you… It warms you, comforts and for me, it can give that extra boost…. maybe it is the ACT of smiling back, because it is natural and unconscious, to smile back… maybe that smile, that automatic response, sheds some of the gloomy or sadness, all on its own…
Happy Friday, all you people!
It’s Saturday! I am finally catching up. Yehaw! Thanks @PegFitzpatrick and @Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing for this post. Really, really good. I am not a “natural” smiler. I have to work at it. Really work at it! I think that’s why my avatar is what it is. A reminder that I can and must.
The Happiness Advantage, the book I am reading now (and my blog post last week) uses the same methodology in the pursuit of positive thinking. Smile at someone and immediately it changes people’s perceptions of you. Probably the best advice I have heard in a long time.
Cheers!
@rdopping @Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing I’ll have to check out The Happiness Advantage. And yes, you can smile. I wonder why some people are just natural smilers and some aren’t?