There’s no way around it: modern life is stressful. But there’s something you can do every day to help reduce your stress: smile. That may not seem so easy sometimes, but here are 10 ways you can get a smile in every day.
Give Thanks
When stress looms high and you become aware of all the things you don’t have, can’t get, or might lose, it’s time to focus on the things that you do have and the things that are yours forever. A quick assessment of the positives in your life will likely put a smile on your face.
Get Active
If you spend your work days sitting at a desk, your commute time sitting in a car, and your recreation sitting on the couch, you’re missing out on the joy that comes from living an active life. Getting exercise will help stimulate endorphins and help you find some natural joy.
Give a Gift
Many of us think that getting a gift is the best thing to boost our moods, but what about giving one? Giving a gift can help you feel better, and it will induce a smile in someone else, which will give you a smile. And you will feel better about yourself, which will give you a more lasting smile.
Focus on the Present
Impending doom may seem like it’s always just around the corner, but it’s probably not, and thinking about it doesn’t do anything but make you feel bad in advance. Instead, focus on what’s going on now, today, and you’ll find that it’s easier to enjoy your days and crack a smile.
Be Flexible
When our plans get destroyed, it’s all too easy to let ourselves get overwhelmed with sadness at what’s lost. Try to approach each broken plan as an opportunity to do something new, a chance at discovery, and an exciting adventure. Broken plans can just as easily be joyful instead of sad.
Play
Adult life is full of work, and many of us let it crowd out fun completely. But it doesn’t have to. Put play on your priority list and you’ll find that you have a lot more smiles in your day, especially if you find a way to engage in active play and release a few of those active endorphins.
Find Your Meaning
Why do you do what you do? If you can’t answer that question, there’s a lot less reason to smile even when things are going your way, let alone when everything seems chaotic. Find the meaning in your life and you’ll be a lot more able to take sacrifices and hardships in stride.
Socialize
Sometimes it’s good to take time for solitary sadness and reflection. But when you’ve done that and you want to find your smile again, get together with friends. Friends and family can give you a different perspective on your problems and show you when things aren’t really a big deal. And when they are, the support of your family and friends can really help you get through in a good mood. You know which friends can put a smile on your face no matter the day.
Rest
It’s so easy to forget to prioritize sleep. Instead, we may stay up late every night, watching TV or playing games on our smartphone or tablet. And without rest you will find that even little things are more likely to get you down (like, I dunno, rainy days and Mondays). Set a reasonable bedtime and banish screens from your bedroom.
Smile
When you can’t think of any reason to smile, just do it anyway. When it comes to smiling, “fake it till you make it” is a real thing: smiling stimulates nerves in the face that encourage a positive mood in the brain.
You’ll likely find it easier to smile if you are confident that when you do you will be happy with the smile you show. If not, perhaps considering some cosmetic dentistry will help you to be able to smile in the future.
If you are looking for a cosmetic dentist in Columbia, SC who can help you smile beautifully every day, please call (803) 781-9090 for an appointment at Smile Columbia Dentistry.
