Sometimes my yoga teacher (the amazing Sigrid Olsen) will, in the middle of a pose, remind us to “smile for no reason.”

I do.

And I’m instantly a tiny bit happier – sometimes even a tiny bit giddy.

If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you’ll know that I’m a fan of smiling for no reason. In fact, smiling is a neurological trigger that sets off a whole chain of chemical events in the body that literally make you feel happier.

Try it right now.

It’s practically foolproof.

Of course, while a smile for no reason can provide a quick (and needed) boost of happy, it’s not enough to turn the tide if life overall isn’t feeling great for you right now.

 

We’ve all been there.

 

Loss

Grief

Unanticipated change

Burnout

Health challenges

Loneliness

Longing

 

There are so many things that can (and do) contribute to life not feeling the way we’d hoped. Fortunately, we don’t have to stay at the mercy of our circumstances.

 

Here’s a quick little primer to get you back on your path to happy for those times when life has been less than kind to you.

 

1. Don’t lie to yourself. If you feel shitty because something lousy, or absolutely awful has happened to you, give yourself time to grieve it.

1. Begin the practice of noticing the emotion you’re feeling without retelling yourself all the reasons why you’re feeling that way. (This takes a LOT of practice.)

1. Be easy with yourself. (That means be kind,)

1. Start to look for the tiny things that make you feel grateful in the moment you’re in (a really good cup of coffee, a warm cat, a friend or loved one) and smile at them.

1. Start to combine #3 with #4. When you notice one of those negative emotions creeping in, find something right in front of you that is beautiful – that you’re grateful for – and smile at it.

 

Your ability to smile is one of the most powerful tools in your toolbox. I’m using mine right now, thinking of you.