Method we will use is called “IGROWS” turn our sadness into Joy (IGROWS)
(Issue, Goals, Reality, Options, Willingness and Smiles)
Welcome back
Thank you so much for joining in our Sadness Diet and the journey to happier times.
Feedback from Yesterday
I hope yesterday you were inspired to be committed to start doing something towards achieving your goals and deciding on how you are going to reward and celebrate your progress. Remember if you need help, you can email me genny@confidentqueen.co.uk
Today – Using the IGROWS model, we will look at the letter S – which stands for SMILES
Smiling and laughing can have a positive effect on your well-being, but as you make the transition from child to adult, you often tend to loose the habit of indulging in these behaviours.
A good example of this is a children’s playground: You often see the kids running around, constantly laughing and smiling as they enjoy living in the moment, while the parents sit around the edge, full of the stresses that modern life can bring, with the occasional grin breaking their otherwise serious facial expressions.
Adults can benefit from taking a lead from children and making more room in life for smiling and laughter.
Research has shown that there a number of health benefits contributed to smiling and laughing. In addition to improved health, these simple facial expressions and common human behaviours can have a distinctive positive affect on other factors all areas of your life.
When you smile and laugh, a number of physiological changes occur in your body, mostly without you being consciously aware of it happening.
7 Benefits of Smiling and Laughing
1. Neurotransmitters Called Endorphins are Released When You Smile
These are triggered by the movements of the muscles in your face, which is interpreted by your brain, which in turn releases these chemicals.
Endorphins are responsible for making us feel happy, and they also help lower stress levels.
Faking a smile or laugh works as well as the real thing—the brain doesn’t differentiate between real or fake as it interprets the positioning of the facial muscles in the same way.
This is known as the facial feedback hypothesis. The more we stimulate our brain to release this chemical the more often we feel happier and relaxed.
2. Endorphins Make us Feel Happier and Less Stressed
They also act as the body’s natural pain killers.
For sufferers of chronic pain, laughing and smiling can be very effective in pain management, as can laughing off the pain when you bump an elbow or fall over.
3. While the Release of Endorphins is Increased, the Stress Hormone Cortisol is Reduced
Cortisol is more active when we feel stressed or anxious and contributes to the unpleasant feelings we experience, and by lowering it we can reduce these negative feelings.
4. Laughing Expands the Lungs, Stretches the Muscles in the Body and Stimulates Homeostasis
This exercises the body, replenishing the cells from a lungful of oxygen and gaining all the benefits of exercising the body.
5. A Good Laugh Can Be an Effective Way to Release Emotions
A good laugh can help you release emotions, especially those emotions that you might bottle up inside.
Everything looks that little bit better after a good laugh and life can be seen from a more positive perspective. Smiling and laughing have positive social implications as well.
6. Smiling is An Attractive Expression (which is more likely to draw people to you rather than push them away).
Smiling makes you appear more approachable.
Interaction with others is easier and more enjoyable when smiles and laughs are shared, and these behaviours are contagious, making others feel better too, and make you a more appealing and attractive person to be around.
This in turn will have a positive effect on your wellbeing.
7. A Happy, Positive Expression will Serve You Well in Life
This is particularly true for challenging situations such as job interviews: a smiling, relaxed persona indicates confidence and an ability to cope well in stressful situations.
This will also be of benefit in your career, building healthy relationships with colleagues and being seen in a favourable light by your employers.
For more information check original article at http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/7-benefits-smiling-a...
Activity 1
Today I will like you to spend time to write down what kind of things you are going to be doing to help you to smile or laugh more often.
Instant Feel Good
Sit down.
Breathe in slowly and Breathe out Slowly ( do this a couple of times).
Breathe in slowly and then laugh out loud slowly (do this a couple of times).
Say - I am so grateful and happy to be alive to see another day.
Think and focus on something that makes you feel happy or my favourite “wake up I feel happy boom, boom, I feel like dancing around boom boom, and now I am dancing line no one’s watching boom, boom”.
Smile – Just spend a few seconds smiling, and then I want you to give out a couple of big laughs (hahaha).
Get your Gift of a smile box, and make use of the items as you continue to feel good and smile
See you tomorrow and may the SMILE always be with you!
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