Thursday 13 May 2010

Smiling on through

Did you know, your body doesn't know the difference between you putting on a fake smile, and you smiling for genuine reasons of joy? It turns out that is the case, both release the same feel-good chemicals in your brain. So, next time you're feeling down or flat, try smiling, it might just do you some good.

Also, it's fun smiling while walking down the street - some people will wonder what it is you are smiling about, others will pick up your smile, be it consciously or subconsciously, and pass it on themselves - in a very short space of time a smile can spread around a town, a county, and in a bit more time, assuming the modern transport systems are working ok, right around the country or the globe! What fun!

I recently went down with a bout of shingles, with a painful rash starting at my spine at the bottom of my neck and spreading around to just below my collarbone. One day in particular I felt really bad - a blinding headache that seared through my brain when I moved, and particularly so as I squatted on my haunches to feed and inject my diabetic cat. It was so intense I felt like crying, and had to go to see the emergency doctor. But, during the consultation one of us said something mildly amusing, and I smiled. Amazingly, that smile helped my head! Not a lot, of course, I needed some very strong painkillers to take the pain away, but the fact it helped a little showed me how important it is to keep that side of myself going, even when I feel dreadful.
I'm lucky, I quickly felt better. Simply taking the pain pills made a big difference, and within 3 days I didn't need them. But throughout I have kept smiling and joking, and I'm sure that has helped my immune system to fight.

Of course, you don't have to have an illness to make use of this benefit. Just keep humour in your life, keep smiling through your day, and get those benefits every day. Make the world a happier place, and your body a healthier one, just with a smile.

And best of all, they are completely free :o)

3 comments:

Shoshi said...

Hi Tao!

I'm now a follower of your blog. I just love your comments! I completely agree that happiness is largely a matter of choice. I am generally a happy person because I deliberately remind myself of everything I have to be thankful for.

I also smile a lot!!

Even having bad health like you, it doesn't stop me being happy.

Also, who can be miserable when they share their life with cats?

Shoshi

Sr Crystal Mary Lindsey said...

Oh dear Shingles are so nasty..
? do you know to take Multi Vitamin B now to help get over them? It does help.
Thank you for telling about smiling. I laugh alot but from now on, when I don't feel like it I will smile anyway...
When I was younger I met a lady with terrible farrowed lines down her face as if from tears, I asked her if she cried alot and she replied yes! I vowed right then to smile more.
Oh...and I love hugging trees..It's a wonderful experience.

tree hugger said...

Shoshi, thank you, keep smiling, and enjoying those cats ;o)

Thank you Mary, but yes, I was already taking vitamin B complex, so just carried on as usual. Thank you for your concern, though. Keep up the smiling :o)