Reminding yourself to smile often can not only make more friendships but it can also make you feel better.
And rather than wait for a reason to smile, just making the physical change of literally turning that frown upside down could impact emotions, according to experts. Research backs up the fact that smiling goes a long way.
Some older research has focused on this “facial feedback hypothesis,” according to Jeanne Tsai, a longtime psychology professor at Stanford University who runs the Culture and Emotion Lab. In one classic study in the late 1980s, researchers would have subjects put a pencil between their lips and adopt a smile or a frown while viewing a positive movie clip like a cartoon. Some subjects who smiled would feel the sensation of the smile more and be more amused.
I read about this before. There was a 3 month period where I absolutely hated my job. I hated driving there and I hated being there. Before work everyday I would smile before I opened the door to go into work because being there was still my choice and I didn’t want to look as miserable as I felt.
Forcing a smile everyday didn’t do sh$t. I was still angry and hated every second of my job. I guess it doesn’t work for everyone.
It’s called “masking” and it doesn’t change your situation for the better at all because it’s adhering to idiots’ social expectations at the expense of authenticity.
A good bitch session every now and then in an appropriate context can help, though. Swearing is also proven to be good for you :)
Fuck yeah!
Worked for me, might just be placebo though. I didn’t literally smile before leaving the house. I just tried to guide my face into smiling a bit more than I was feeling, just enough to not feel like like I’m forcing it.
Must have been my mindset then