Welcome to the first ever Wellness Wednesday! I hope you are as excited as I am. Each Wednesday I would like to focus on just one little thing that we can all do to improve our health, mentally and physically. Some things might be easier to practice and incorporate than others and that is OK. For week one, I wanted to pick something that would be as easy as possible, while having huge positive side effects in life.
:) Smile :)
A happy Samantha on Christmas morning with Grandma and Grandad
Just the simple act of smiling has many positive health side-effects:
1. We appear more attractive to others
2. Smiling actually changes our mood for the better
3. Smiling is contagious
4. Smiling relieves stress
5. Smiling boosts your immune system
6. Smiling lowers blood pressure
7. Smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers and serotonin
8. Smiling makes your appear successful
9. Smiling helps you look younger
10. Smiling helps you to stay positive
With the exception of huge life obstacles and depression, I truly believe that happiness is a choice. We all have 101 reasons to be moody, angry or sad, but if you want to find them, there are a million more reasons to be happy. The best part of smiling is that you don't have to actually feel happy to begin with, but if you smile, feeling happy will be a result, which leads to more smiling which leads to more happiness....is that not wonderful?!
My weekly challenge to myself and to you is to consciously smile at times when it might not come naturally. Make a goal each day to greet everyone you meet with a smile, spend time talking about funny memories with an old friend or play with a child (smiling comes so easily to children!). OK, lets practice... 1.....2.....3.... SMILE!
Good luck and let me know how all the smiling goes! :)
Wow! You look like your Grandma! She's so young, too. I would have thought that she was your mother.
ReplyDeleteWell thank you for making me smile- and my grandmother when I tell her about your comment! :)
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