You may have been given the compliment by an admirer, “Your smile lights up the room.” You may have even noticed your afternoon perk up when you lighten up the mood at work by telling a joke, or smiling at your best friend’s bizarre dream she recently had. Have you ever noticed that when you make a child laugh (even if they’re throwing a temper tantrum) you can actually transform their entire mood and reaction to you?
Smile, and everything can change. Or, in other words, smile and change everything! Here are three important ways you won’t just help yourself by smiling, but help those around you be happier and healthier!
It’s a Win/Win (Especially During Times of Conflict)
No job is perfect, as no relationship is either. When you come out of a meeting that didn’t go the way you’d expect, or you have a disagreement with your best friend, use body language that wins ‘em over every time—a glowing smile! Especially during times of conflict, the person you’re dealing with will never expect a smile. They’ll expect opposition in the form of argument and crossed arms. Shock them—and yourself!—by smiling. Propose that you ‘start over’ with a new idea that will make the both of you happy. Smile, and you’ve already won the battle because you’ve won them over with kindness.
A Smile Attracts More Reasons to Smile
If you occasionally wake up ‘on the wrong side of the bed,’ it can be difficult to crack a smile at all. The culmination of your responsibilities and tasks that lie ahead can make you feel like you don’t have any reason to put on a happy face. So, fake it until you make it! When you smile, you set the tone for your day. Turn your frown upwards, and you’ll begin to notice those around you reciprocating your smile.
Don’t believe that?
Try this experiment for yourself and observe what happens next: When waiting for your lunch order and a stranger makes eye contact with you, smile. Look them in the eyes. Just give them a pleasant look, and you’ll find that it’s very difficult for people not to return the smile back to you. As a bonus, you’ve just done yourself—and them a favor—because smiling attracts more reasons to smile!
It Just May Be…the Fountain of Youth
Forget buying another expensive anti-aging cream, and cancel your lunchtime peel you had booked for next week. You don’t need anything to feel and look younger but that great smile of yours! Smiling doesn’t just make you feel better, but it actually makes you look better. Think about how you look when you smile as opposed to when you frown. When you smile, you’re inviting to others, and attractive. You offer something that people want to be part of. And, even if you’re feeling anxious, nervous or irritated, smile—you’ll be able to change your negative feelings into positive ones.
Give others the best of you each and every moment. Smile. Put yourself out there, and go beyond your comfort zone (happily!) because when you put on that gorgeous, happy face of yours, everyone and everything will shift for the better.
