My one New Year’s Resolution for 2014 is pretty simple: have more good days.
I don’t have bad days on a regular basis, but I don’t necessarily have good days either. The days where I go to bed feeling accomplished, proud, and balanced are few and far between. Whether we move or not, I know that 2014 is going to be a huge year for us and I want to celebrate that by enjoying as many days as I can – even when it feels like mission impossible.
So each week, I’ll be sharing a new idea on how to have a good day – or maybe even a great one. Read the rest of the series here.
#2: Smile
It sounds simple, but it’s so easy to forget to do this one thing every day. This one tiny, yet incredibly powerful thing.
I’ve heard all of the science behind smiling. Between it taking more muscles to frown than to smile, that it boosts your immune system, that it truly alters your mood, how it stimulates your brain and emotions, etc. And while every single one of those reasons truly should be enough to just force a smile for the health benefits, sometimes it’s not enough. Some days forcing a smile feels like it’s the absolute hardest thing to do. But those are the days where you most likely need it more than ever.
So I make it a goal, every single day, to find something to smile about. Whether it’s what I’m looking forward to in the week ahead, what I’m grateful for during the week, or even just a video of a cat in a shark costume on a roomba chasing a duck – I try to find something small to smile about. Because once I do, it makes the rest of the day just a little bit easier to manage.
I also truly do believe that smiling is as contagious as a yawn. So if I’m making those around me smile by smiling myself, it’s an even better motivator to find something that’s enough of a reason to smile.
What makes you smile, especially on tough days?