The Impact of a Smile

May 14, 2007 

Smiling.  Such a simple thing and yet it has so much power. 

Many people think that happy feelings cause smiling when, in fact, the opposite is true.  Researchers asked study participants to hold a pencil in their mouths in one of two ways: 

1. hold the pencil by the end and have it stick straight out of the mouth, or
2. hold the pencil between the teeth lengthwise.

 

The second position mimics the look of a smile.  After holding the position for a period of time, participants were asked to rate their feelings.  Researchers found that those participants who held the pencils so as to mimic a smile rated their feelings as more positive than the control group (yes, yes, they took a baseline reading and met all requirements for a good study.  Please don’t write me about the basics of elegant study design  J ). 

The point is that, even when we don’t feel happy, pasting a smile on our face triggers our brains to believe we’re happy.  Eventually that fake smile becomes a real one. 

How do you spot a real smile?  Look at the smiler’s eyes.  A genuine smile makes our eyes crinkle.Dale Carnegie, in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People, best summed up the lasting impacts of a smile: “It costs nothing, but creates much. It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give. It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.“None are so rich or mighty that they can get along without it, and none are so poor but are richer for its benefits. It creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in a business, and is the countersign of friends. It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and nature’s best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is no earthly good to anybody till it is given away.“Some people are too tired to give you a smile, may we ask that you leave them one of yours? For nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none left to give!”Is there anyone in your life that you could give a smile to today?  Who knows, you might get one back!Until the next chapter,Lisa

News Fast

May 3, 2007 

In light of the tragic events that occurred only two weeks ago in
Virginia, I started thinking about how the news affects us. 

Two days after the shooting, I had just completed an exam for a course and I was feeling extremely excited about how well it had gone.  After a giggly, adrenaline-filled phone call with a friend, I sat down to read the paper which was inevitably filled with news about the massacre.  When I was finished only a short time later, I noticed that the pleasant, excited feeling was gone and replaced by something more melancholy. 

“How can this be?” I thought.  “I’ve had an incredible morning.”  The fact is that news does affect our stress levels.  News tends to focus on the bad, especially crime.  Studies have shown that seeing images of or reading about violence or death provokes changes in mood and can intensify anxiety, sadness or depression.  These feelings can lead to a negative view of life which has negative effects on physical health. 

Dr. Andrew Weil (www.drweil.com) recommends that in order to increase mental calmness we all take a “news fast” periodically.  This means not watching the news or reading the newspaper for a few days or even a week. 

Personally, I do like to stay informed as to what’s going on locally but I do tend to skip over the national news and any headlines that are disturbing. 

I encourage you to reflect on your own news habits.  Are you one of those people with CNN constantly going in the background?  What could this background noise be doing to your stress levels? 

As you reflect on your news habits are there any that you’d like to change?  Which of these habits isn’t helping you?   

I encourage you to try a news fast, or at least a news reduction, for a day or two and see how you feel.  After all, it certainly can’t hurt and may even make you feel better! 

Until the next chapter,Lisa

National TV Turnoff Week 2007

April 23, 2007 

April 23 to 29 marks National TV Turnoff Week 2007. Did you know that the average American family in 2006 watched four hours and 35 minutes of television a day (Source: Nielson)?  That means plopping yourself in front of the TV every evening at 7 pm and watching until 11:35 pm.   

Now, I’m not here to give you all kinds of facts and figures trying to prove to you that TV rots your brains and is at least partially responsible for the violence in society, the obesity epidemic and on and on and on. 

Personally, I enjoy some TV here and there.  When my daughter was three months old she finally showed an interest in Baby Einstein videos.  Every morning after breakfast, we would “read the paper” together – she with her Baby Einstein video and me with my newspaper and coffee.  I’m not too proud to admit that that I needed that time.  In fact, there were many mornings when I lamented the fact that those videos were only a measly 24 minutes long. 

So, while turning off the TV for a week is a great idea in theory, the reality is that TV can provide a nice (and needed) break as long as it is used in moderation.  As a coach, my goal is to encourage you to be more mindful of what you’re doing.  Do you plop yourself down in front of the TV every evening simply because it’s a habit and you do it without thinking?  What other activities could you be doing if you weren’t watching TV? 

In an amazing coincidence, National TV Turnoff Week coincides with
Manitoba’s Reading Week!  What kind of alignment of the planets has to occur for that to happen?!? 

So, in honour of National TV Turnoff Week and Manitoba Reading Week I challenge you to turn off the TV for a few extra hours this week and notice how you feel.  Take a walk, read a book or play a board game with your kids. 

Try something new. 

Until the next chapter,Lisa