Switch on your smile, dial up your laughter
In my life's motto "live, love, laugh everyday" to laugh comes last but in my philosophy all 3 elements have equal importance. You wonder why?
Well, laughing is an expression of fun and visibly enjoying what we do. Laughing is infectious and good vibrations are the result.
It’s most rewarding when it’s about laughing with someone, not about someone. But actually, you do not need someone else to laugh, you can also do it just for yourself.
I know from myself that laughter helps me to manage stress. Laughter allows me to pause, see and appreciate the bright side and connect with others. And I admit: I have never curbed my laughter. I know that I have a very loud, distinct laughter that travels (yes, whoever knows me personally, knows what I am talking about ;-) ..... but I also know that it’s infectious and that people’s feedback is 99% of the time positive and appreciative.
There is laugh yoga to get you started and establish laughter in your daily life. I have never done it but I can well imagine that it works. In the ideal case, laughing is an integral part of your everyday life, it comes naturally and feels good.
Joy and enjoyment does of course not always need to lead to laughing out loud but may also lead to a more peaceful smile. And actually, the smile can also be the beginning of joy and enjoyment – what do I mean?
Here come my everyday “smile”-practices:
Tip 1: make yourself comfortable, close your eyes and breath calmly. Then, in a next step, smile to yourself softly while breathing calmly with your eyes closed. My experience is that this smile feels like a light switch, switching on happiness in my brain. Try it out yourself, it's like a little miracle. Tip 2: when you go for a walk, smile to yourself and the “smile switch” will make you aware of the beauty around you: birds singing, summer breeze, the love that surrounds you. Tip 3: my experience is that what works while meditating with a smile or walking in nature, also works when walking along the office corridor: put a smile on your face and colleagues will react more positively to you.
Dialing up your laughter or switching on your smile are really amazing tools: you feel better yourself, you feel more grateful and joyful, and you see many more opportunities instead of difficulties.
