How To Improve Your Day In One Easy Step….

7-27am

This morning I woke up crabby! It was the kind of way that your Mom would say, “You got up on the wrong side of the bed!” I was so irritated and took it out on Mike (poor guy) and then decided to just get out of the house and go for a run! So out I went hitting the road under a beautiful overcast sky. I got down the road and decided to put a long thought of idea to the test. I have always believed that something chemically happens inside a person when they smile. So after 100m of my 3km run, I decided to smile for the entire time! So I smiled, a broad beam. It was the last thing I felt like doing. But I persevered. I concentrated hard on my face, ensuring the photo smile was there all the time. It was early and not many cars were on the road, but when one went by, I thought to myself, “I bet he’s wondering what I’m smiling about!” Soon I saw a fellow runner coming towards me – just keep on smiling – so of course, he smiled back and we waved and greeted each other. I could not get over the change in how I felt. All the irritation of earlier melted away. Every few steps I did a ‘smile check’ – I wasn’t aware of how tired I was becoming – I was only aware that I was smiling all the way! I think some people must have seen me and thought it strange seeing a lady running down the road with a Cheshire cat grin on her face.

When I got home, everything was different! It absolutely had changed my day AND I got in a 3km run, with ease!

It was so powerful, that I googled smiling and what happens.  One article says that when you smile, it throws a little party in your brain.  Smiling releases endorphins and serotonin into your blood stream – both are feel good chemicals that act as natural pain killers as well. Who would have guessed that below your nose is instant pain relief!

I can’t go through life with a permanent smile on my face – there are times when smiling is not appropriate, but although I smile a lot, I don’t smile enough! It’s a good thing to practice.

The Bible says  “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  (Proverbs 17:22). Smiling cheers the heart.  🙂

How to improve your day in one easy step? SMILE!

God bless you loads!

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂