Smiling has many benefits-it makes you seem friendly
and approachable, look more attractive and feel happier and less stressed. And,
while smiling comes easily to some people, others naturally have more serious
expressions or may feel awkward about smiling. If you're one of those people
and would like to learn how to smile more, you've come to the right place. This
article will provide you with some handy tips and tricks which will have you
flashing those pearly whites in no time!
Practice in front of a mirror. If you want to be really good at something you need to
practice, right? Well, smiling is no different. If you're not a person who
smiles a lot naturally, you will need to get used to what smiling feels like
and learn how to replicate that feeling more naturally. Practice by smiling
when no one else is around, in the bathroom, in bed, in your car. That way, you
will feel less self-conscious.
- Every morning, try to look in the mirror and smile at yourself. Concentrate on making the smile look natural, by extending it to your eyes. A slight upturn of the mouth isn't going to convince anybody.
- Find a smile that you like the look of and try to memorize how your face feels when you make it. That way, you will be able to replicate that exact smile in everyday situations.
Think of a happy event or someone
you love. It's no secret that being happy
makes you smile, so why not take advantage of that fact? If you find yourself
in a situation where you know you'll have to smile and you want it to look
natural, take a moment to conjure a happy memory or the face of a person you
love.
These
positive mental images will automatically boost your mood and help you to smile
more naturally. Bottom line: think happy thoughts.
Observe smiley people. Everybody knows at least one person
to whom smiling it the easiest, most natural thing in the world. Someone who
will smile at the drop of a hat, at everyone and everything. Chances are this
person is well-liked, and is known for being approachable and trustworthy. Such
are the powers of a great smile. Take some time to interact with this person,
one-on-one, in a sociable setting and observe how and when they smile.
- Make a mental note of how often they smile, along with the things they smile in response to. Do they smile when you say something funny? Or even when you don't? Are they smiling to be polite, or just because they seem genuinely happy?
- Now you've seen how a natural smiling person navigates normal conversations, you will feel more confident about adopting similar behaviors and incorporating more smiles into your daily interactions.
Rope in a partner. In situations like this, it can be helpful to have a partner
who's willing to help you achieve your goal of smiling more often. It could be
a romantic partner, your best friend or a work buddy - it doesn't matter as
long as it's someone you can rely on, who has a good sense of humor. All they
need to do is give you a little nudge in situations where you forget to smile.
That nudge is your queue to break into a luminous grin.
- You could even come up with a little signal, like a wink or subtle hand gesture, so you can still communicate on opposite sides of a crowded room.
- A lot of non-smiling-people get irritated when somebody tells them to "smile!" or "cheer up". However, if you ask a friend to help you out with smile reminders, it's important that you don't get angry with them when they do their job. Remember -- you asked for it!
Smile at a stranger. You've probably heard it said that smiling is contagious.
That when you smile at a person, they can't help but smile back. Put that theory
to test and make the effort to smile at a complete stranger at least once a day
-- whether it's someone on the street, someone at work or school or someone
sitting beside you in traffic. Imagine that one friendly gesture setting off a
chain reaction that causes your smile to go viral. Pretty good feeling, huh?
- In reality, some people will think you're weird and some won't smile back, but don't let that stop you! Think of your smile as a good deed or an act of kindness that could make someone's day just a little bit brighter.
- But if the other people do smile back (and most will) you'll have shared a special moment with that person, a fleeting connection with another human being that'll leave you with a pep in your step.
