10 Ways To Smile More Often and Lead a Better Life

Smiles and laughter possess a remarkable natural power. When we smile and laugh, our bodies release endorphins and dopamine, which are nature's feel-good chemicals. They enhance our moods, promoting feelings of calmness and happiness. Given how good they make us feel, making an effort to smile more frequently should be a collective mission.

In general, smiling and laughter help us better cope with stress, find hope, and view problems from a different perspective. The power of smiling and laughter should never be underestimated, as they can transform any negative thought or moment into an opportunity for positivity.

While some people seem to smile and laugh almost effortlessly and genuinely, for others, it may not come as naturally. Therefore, it's important for us to make an extra effort to smile and laugh more often.

There are various ways to accomplish this. Some techniques include using smiling cues or employing the age-old method of faking it until you make it.

Below, you'll find a list of six techniques to help you start smiling and laughing more consistently, allowing you to truly experience the benefits of a genuine smile.

# Start your day with a smile

As soon as you wake up, before even getting out of bed, open your eyes and... smile! It might sound too simple, but beginning your day with a smile can have a significant impact.

By smiling the moment you wake up, you set a positive tone for the rest of your day. It instantly improves your outlook, helping you face the day's challenges with a positive attitude. Moreover, it's an excellent way to combat morning drowsiness, as smiling energizes you and gets you moving quickly!

# Practice smiling regularly

The more you practice smiling, the easier it becomes to smile naturally over time. If smiling doesn't come naturally to you, you can practice in front of a mirror while getting ready for your day.

Eventually, your smile will appear less forced, and your confidence will soar as you find yourself smiling automatically in various situations without having to think too much about it.

Practicing smiling helps you see things in a more positive light and gradually rewires your brain to perceive situations from a positive perspective rather than a stressful or negative one. Even if it feels forced or fake at first, it still works. Just keep practicing!

# Create smile cues

To develop the habit of smiling more often, you can create cues or reminders to smile. Decide to smile every time you open a door, see a dog or a baby, drink coffee, or go for a run.

Choose simple things that you'll remember, and make sure to smile whenever you encounter one of your smile cues.

# Change your perspective

Think happy thoughts. It might sound simplistic, but it works. When you think happy and positive thoughts, you naturally smile more often!

If you find it challenging to break free from negative thinking or a pessimistic attitude, try taking sixty seconds to change your perspective. Take a moment to be still, letting go of the racing thoughts in your head, and allow your body to relax into a peaceful state.

Free from stress, self-doubt, work deadlines, and to-do lists, focus on emptying your mind. It's just sixty seconds, but it can make you feel lighter. Changing your perspective allows more positivity into your day.

It's a quick form of meditation to clear your mind and help you start thinking more optimistically, which, in turn, leads to more smiles and laughter.

# Smile at everyone

It might sound silly, but try smiling at everyone you see. Simply smiling at each person you encounter throughout your day opens up opportunities for happiness and a general sense of well-being.

Instead of quickly averting your gaze when you make eye contact with someone during your commute to work, smile at them. Smile at your coworkers during interactions.

Even when faced with a situation or person that makes you feel uncertain, and you're debating between being stern and smiling, try to think of one positive aspect of the situation and choose to smile.

Choosing to smile instantly boosts your mood and makes the other person feel good too. Smiles are contagious, so smile at everyone you encounter during your day. Your smile will spread happiness to others, creating a positive cycle. A single smile from you can bring happiness to many others.

# Smile often

Smiling is not only for when you're happy, feeling loved, or playful; you can also smile when you're feeling sad or stressed. Smiling when you're feeling good is easy, as it's a natural reaction to happiness.

Smiling out of love may require a bit more courage, as you might feel shy or embarrassed. But if you're thinking of someone you care about or something you genuinely love, just smile. Be grateful that you have someone or something to be passionate about.

Take a cue from the happy five-year-old who set me straight, or from any other joyful child, and remember that openly smiling and laughing is a fantastic way to alleviate stress and experience greater happiness.

# Express gratitude daily

One reason people feel grumpy and depressed is that they don't appreciate what they have. Instead, they tend to focus on what's wrong with their lives.

But obviously, this doesn't bring a smile to your face! Try being an optimist instead. Look at your life and identify what you're grateful for, rather than focusing on what you want to change.

There's always something to be grateful for, whether it's the roof over your head or the food on your table. You're fortunate to have these things, as many people in the world don't.

# Notice the little things

As the saying goes, take time to smell the roses. In other words, don't be so busy and stressed in your life that you forget to notice the beauty around you. There's so much beauty in the world waiting to be appreciated.

It could be your child's laughter or a funny caterpillar crawling outside. These may seem like little things, but they carry a lot of wonder if you look at them in the right way. So, don't let all the wonderful things in your life and the world go unnoticed.

# Indulge in happy music and funny movies

If you find it difficult to focus on the positives in your life and in the world, you can get some help from music, movies, or even TV shows or books. These things can help lift your spirits and make you laugh.

# Spend time with happy people and compliment them

Happiness is contagious. You're likely to adopt the attitudes and behaviors of the people you spend the most time with. If you're not surrounded by happy people, that could be why you're not as happy as you could be.

Try to seek out new people if necessary. Spend time with someone who is naturally happy and smiling. Over time, you'll become more like them.