“You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.” ~Maurice Chevalier
Do you smile every day? If not, it’s time to start. Plus it’s a whole lot easier dealing with the boring stuff we sometimes have to do in order to get stuff done if we smile more. It also helps when we run into those days that needs a restart button.
When you smile neurotransmitters like endorphins, dopamine and serotonin are released. They are the kind of “feel-good” neurotransmitters that are involved in reducing stress, making us feel happier and more motivated.
Have you ever had a less than awesome day and then someone genuinely smiled at you and you caught yourself smiling back? Did you notice that it made you feel better? A smile is contagious. When we see someone smile our mirror neurons in the brain cause us to smile back, which then kicks in the “feel-good” neurotransmitters.
You know I’m all about working less and taking the time to enjoy life. But that doesn’t mean every day is a blissful joy. Life can be stressful.
Which is why we need to smile more. It may not fix the less than ideal day but it definitely won’t make it worse.
What else can you do to have a better day?
Pay attention to your mindset. It takes the same amount of energy to create and focus on a negative thought as it does a positive. If you have a tendency to default to negative thoughts you can train yourself to become a more positive person. It’s like any habit. It can be changed if you’re willing to make the time and commitment.
Third way to have a better day? Practice gratitude. Do you get up in the morning focusing on the things you don’t have or on the things you do have? If you wake up in the morning being grateful you will have a different outlook than if you focus on the negatives. For example, will focusing on something you wish you had but don’t have yet make you feel better or worse? It will just make you feel worse. Which is wasted energy. Remember, what you focus on expands so put your focus on what you can control. Practicing gratitude will make you focus on the good things in your life and less on the negatives.
So remember:
1. Smile. Laugh. Be goofy.
2. Change your mindset. Fill your mind with positive talk instead of negative.
3. Practice gratitude. Every single day.
Doing those three things will move you forward in life. It takes practice, but like any habit it sets in after a while and it becomes automatic. Start now. Smile at someone while walking in the grocery store. When a negative thought arrives, push it out and replace with a positive. Find at least three things to be grateful for each and every day.
What do you practice for having a better day?