Smiling is great. It’s a clear sign that we are happy and enjoying ourselves. When we smile, we look more confident. We are more trustworthy and approachable and even more attractive. Smiling more, even when you don’t feel like it can make you happier, as your brain associates the expression with the emotion. It can increase your confidence, boost your relationships and mood and even improve your performance at work. Smiling more can make life nicer.
But we don’t all feel comfortable, or even natural doing it. You might struggle to smile, finding that your face falls into a natural frown when you aren’t thinking. You might even feel self-conscious about smiling, worried about what other people might think.
This is a shame, because actually if you push yourself to smile more, it can start to feel quite wonderful. Here are six things that you can do to make yourself smile more.
SPEND TIME DOING THINGS THAT YOU LOVE
It makes sense that doing things that you love will make you smile more. But, it’s something that isn’t always easy. We’re all busy, working, looking after families, cleaning and tidying and doing who knows what else. Our to-do lists are enormous and our schedules full.
It’s worth making time to do things that you love, even if it’s just a few minutes a day. It’ll keep you smiling for long after and help to improve your general mood.
BE WITH PEOPLE WHO MAKE YOU SMILE
Sometimes, even things that don’t make us smile, like working or studying, do if we do them with the right people. Surround yourself with the kind of people that make you laugh even when you are doing tedious jobs, and you will smile a lot more.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR TEETH
One of the main reasons we stop ourselves smiling, or try to cover our mouth when we do it, is that we don’t like our teeth and we feel self-conscious. Taking care of your teeth, gums and other oral health can make you proud to smile, and more confident about it. If you are worried about your teeth, modern teeth straightening is much less noticeable and invasive than chunky metal braces. Otherwise, brush your teeth regularly, get into good brushing habits and visit your dentist for further advice.
Metal braces are no longer the only option on the market for correcting orthodontic issues with teeth. There are many options available to achieve a perfect smile from the comfort of your home. For example, Invisalign is one of the most common and widely used clear aligner products available.
GET SOME SLEEP
Have you ever noticed that it is much harder to smile when you are tired? Even the things that usually make you laugh aren’t as funny when you are struggling to keep your eyes open. Get more sleep and rest, and you are bound to find smiling easier.
MAKE SMILING A HABIT
Tell yourself to smile. When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself that you are going to smile more. Remind yourself throughout the day, and it soon becomes something that you do without thought.
SMILE AT PEOPLE THAT YOU SEE
When you smile, other people smile back. Then, they smile at someone and get one in return, and soon your one smile has made many, many other people a little bit happier. Smiling is infectious. So, start smiling at everyone you see, even people that you pass in the street or sit next to on the bus, to spread those smiles around.
