How many times have you smiled today?

Earlier this week I was reminded how powerful a smile is!

The science tells us that smiling has so many positive effects, it induces more pleasure in the brain than chocolate for one, but by far my favourite reason is that it’s infectious 😊

On average children smile four hundred times a day, a happy adult forty-fifty times, but for most it’s an average of twenty times.

Given that we know smiling can reduce stress & anxiety, boost your immune system, release endorphins, lift your mood & actually make you feel happier I think we should all resolve to do it much more.

This year is proving to be a tough one for so many reasons, & for most it leaves few reasons to smile. While that shouldn’t be underestimated or ignored we should acknowledge that staying focused on what we cannot control or change is damaging to our physical, mental & emotional health. Where we have power is in the response we choose, so anything which brings positivity & a sense of wellbeing sounds good to me.

It costs nothing & can really brighten up the day – try it & see for yourself. Better still take the advice from the poem below (attributed to Spike Milligan I believe) & see if you can make the day a little better for someone else. 

Smiling is infectious,
you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner
and someone saw my grin.
When he smiled I realized
I'd passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile,
then I realized its worth.
A single smile, just like mine
could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin,
don't leave it undetected.
Let's start an epidemic quick,
and get the world infected!