It's a Glass Half Full Kind of Morning: Just Keep Smiling

Sometimes, more often than not, my day starts rushed and on a negative note.

Rushing the kids along.

Waking later than I should to give me the time to be ready myself.

Stressing. Oh the stress. Berating myself in my head.

Bemoaning every cursed ache and pain that should not be happening in my body still in it's thirties.

Today started differently.

Today, I chose a half glass full attitude. Today I plastered a smile on my face whether I meant it or not.

I smiled at everyone. I have faked bubbly. And guess what?

Happy is contagious.

Suddenly, I felt in an uplifted mood. Suddenly, I wasn't faking.

I was happy. I tricked myself into being happy. I felt the tightness in my shoulder relax. I felt endorphins release.

Hmm note to self: I need to try this more often.

I think I might be on to something. On a whim, I googled it. Guess what? Studies have shown that smiles do in fact lift your mood, boost your immune system, and relieve stress:

"Smiling may help to reduce symptoms associated with anxiety. Mark Stibich, PhD, consultant at Columbia University, believes that "If you can slow your breathing down and change your expression, you may be able to turn around the stress cascade." Chronic stress does significant damage to to the body and mind. Reducing stress may lower blood pressure, improve digestion, regulate blood sugar and curb neurotic reactions brought on by prolonged anxiety.

Imagine that! Everything I did intuitively proven.

Try it. Promise me that you will fake that smile today--even if you aren't feeling it-- and let me know how it works!

'lisciously scribed by Heather Murphy-Raines @ 9:07 AM