Did you know that when you laugh and smile, your face sends signals to your brain that you are happy? Your brain literally responds to the nerves and muscles in your face to determine your emotional state. So what does this mean for self-management? When you're stuck on a frustrating or distressing thought, forcing yourself to smile counteracts the negative emotional state. If you work in customer service, or any time you need to look upbeat when you're really not up for it, making yourself throw on a large, legitimate smile (where your cheeks push upwards) will trick your mind into feeling the mood you need for the moment.
French university researchers measured the power of a smile by having two groups of subjects read the same comics page from the newspaper. Once group of subjects was instructed to hold a pencil in their teeth while reading (which activates the muscles used in smiling), while the other group held the pencil with their lips (which does not activate the pencils used in smiling). Those who were unknowingly "smiling" found the cartoons far more humorous and had a better time while reading them than the people in the group that weren't smiling.
You can also use smiling and laughter to lift your mood by watching a show or reading a book that you find funny. This can feel like an odd choice when you're feeling down, but it's a great way to override the negative emotions and clear your head, especially if your down mood is paralyzing your judgment. Smiling and laughter won't eliminate feeling down, and they shouldn't – ever mood has its purposes – but it's nice to know you have an out when you need to put on a happy face.
Rick
