Suzanne prescribes: Smile --- it's good for you!

We’ve all heard the expression: “Laughter is the best medicine.”

Or as Arnold Glasgow observed: “Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects.”

It’s even been suggested that you should make yourself laugh — whether you feel like it or not — because it will still have a beneficial effect.

Why? Because the brain is not only an organ, but a gland. It manufactures numerous chemicals that have a potent effect on our mood.

Scientists have proven that laughter on a daily basis lowers blood pressure, decreases the stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenalin, boosts our immune system, improves digestion, and increases the level of endorphins in our bodies.

The way we move our body affects brain chemistry as well. We all know that exercise does this, that deep breathing and meditation do this. We’ve all heard about adrenaline flowing into the blood stream so that a mother can literally lift a car off her trapped child. Well, the way we use our facial muscles affects brain chemistry, too.

Recent research has indicated that the facial muscles used for smiling, showing anger, disgust, etc. trigger different chemicals in the brain. Smiling affects our hormones positively, the others have a negative effect. (Liz Hodgkinson discusses this phenomena in her book, SMILE THERAPY.)

The advantages of smiling are very real and quite literal. Try smiling more often and see the change in the way other people react to you, including your family and friends. Smiling also changes the tone of your voice. Try smiling AND being upset with someone. It’s hard to do.

So, why not try smiling more over the few weeks and see if it helps your mood. (By the way, there’s a name for a genuine smile or a “true” smile: It’s known as a Duchenne smile.)

So, inquiring minds want to know: What do you deliberately do to make yourself feel better? Are you a believer in Motion=Emotion. Have you tried “smile” therapy? Would you be willing to give it a try?

Here’s smiling at you!
Suzanne