Smiling when you are upset is about the last thing you will feel like doing. It will feel unnatural and awkward. Smile and take a major step towards healing.
Yet you do not need to come up with a reason to smile.
Form your smile first with your mouth, then allow your face to soften, your temples to relax, and your eyes to participate. Hold your smile for a few minutes. If it starts to fade, reform and keep holding. As you hold, examine first how your body reacts. The muscles begin to relax, the heart rate slows down, and the breath lengthens. Notice the change in your thoughts. Are they more positive? Hopeful? Objective?
Try it when you are alone and give yourself as much time as you need to begin and end the process. The more you apply this strategy the easier it becomes to boost your spirits effortlessly and painlessly in the future.
Not only does a smile encourage ourselves to release negativity, but has a positive influence on those around us as well. Smiling is infectious and elicits positive remarks and reactions from our peers.
Forming a smile creates a spark of light that warms the heart and soothes the body, mind, and soul. This light guides us as well; it shows us that the path towards positive healing is paved with strength, hope, and humility. Smiling demonstrates that not only do you want to heal, but that you can!