Smile, Even if You Don’t Want To

Force yourself to smile. Try it; it’s not that difficult. Now hold it for a count of ten and deepen it. Mentally affirm, “I am happy, totally, blissfully happy.” Notice how your mood begins to shift. You can’t help but feel a little lighter. Use your smile to start a happiness epidemic. Smile at everyone, everywhere. People are hardwired to respond to the facial expressions they encounter. If you glower at someone, that person will return a frown, but your smile will evoke a smile. You’ll feel happier, too, because your body responds to your smile, even if you are faking the grin. So fake it until you genuinely feel happy. Once you know it works, do it often.