I woke up this morning "on the wrong side of the lily pad." I didn't feel like myself and I didn't know why. Sure, I've had a little more stress than usual, but I normally don't let that affect me. I'm a pretty easy-going frog and I'm always fairly happy, so when I feel out-of-sorts, I find it troubling.
It was more important to me to find a way to make it better, than it was to find out why I was feeling bad in the first place. Life ebbs and flows; there will always be ups and downs. I know that every day won't be exactly the way I want it to be. And I need a way to cope with the changes and disappointments that life inevitabley brings. What I really wanted, was a sure-fire fix for my blues; one that I can use today and maybe even keep on-hand for future froggy meltdowns.
If you look up the popular phrase, "Fake it 'til you make it" in the Urban Dictionary, you'll see where it says, "faking confidence or happiness until you've reached or attained it; displaying what you want to be until you become it." I wanted to know if this attitude really works. Maybe it's time I give this a try.
No one feels confidence 100% of the time. Some of us never feel confident. So how does thinking like a happy/confident person seem to make it better? I wanted to know if there was any evidence to back up the "science of self-perception." Turns out that there is. Science has proven that non-verbal actions, like smiling and exuding confidence, actually affects the "faker" as well as the "fakees". It seems that our bodies can change our minds. Studies have shown that holding a smile makes people feel happier. When we feel better and more confident, our bodies produce more testosterone and less cortisol...a hormone associated with stress. So, in time, we actually do begin to feel happier and more confident. This was good news, indeed!
Immediately, I plastered a smile on my face and went about my morning routine. Sure enough, it wasn't long after that I began to feel like my old self again. Yippee!
The lesson here is pretty obvious. When you're feeling a little "off" simply put a smile on your face and you'll begin to feel better. Too hard to do? Fine. Read something funny. Watch a favorite comedy...anything that will put a grin on your face. Trust me. This does work. And I have the science to back me up. I do think, however, that the saying should be rewritten slightly; " it 'til you make it" might be more meaningful as "fake it 'til you become it!"
As you can see, I'm grinning ear-to-ear. (Ok, so I don't have actual ourside ears like humans, but you get the point) I hope by now you are smiling, too! See ya tomorrow.
It was more important to me to find a way to make it better, than it was to find out why I was feeling bad in the first place. Life ebbs and flows; there will always be ups and downs. I know that every day won't be exactly the way I want it to be. And I need a way to cope with the changes and disappointments that life inevitabley brings. What I really wanted, was a sure-fire fix for my blues; one that I can use today and maybe even keep on-hand for future froggy meltdowns.
If you look up the popular phrase, "Fake it 'til you make it" in the Urban Dictionary, you'll see where it says, "faking confidence or happiness until you've reached or attained it; displaying what you want to be until you become it." I wanted to know if this attitude really works. Maybe it's time I give this a try.
No one feels confidence 100% of the time. Some of us never feel confident. So how does thinking like a happy/confident person seem to make it better? I wanted to know if there was any evidence to back up the "science of self-perception." Turns out that there is. Science has proven that non-verbal actions, like smiling and exuding confidence, actually affects the "faker" as well as the "fakees". It seems that our bodies can change our minds. Studies have shown that holding a smile makes people feel happier. When we feel better and more confident, our bodies produce more testosterone and less cortisol...a hormone associated with stress. So, in time, we actually do begin to feel happier and more confident. This was good news, indeed!
Immediately, I plastered a smile on my face and went about my morning routine. Sure enough, it wasn't long after that I began to feel like my old self again. Yippee!
The lesson here is pretty obvious. When you're feeling a little "off" simply put a smile on your face and you'll begin to feel better. Too hard to do? Fine. Read something funny. Watch a favorite comedy...anything that will put a grin on your face. Trust me. This does work. And I have the science to back me up. I do think, however, that the saying should be rewritten slightly; " it 'til you make it" might be more meaningful as "fake it 'til you become it!"
As you can see, I'm grinning ear-to-ear. (Ok, so I don't have actual ourside ears like humans, but you get the point) I hope by now you are smiling, too! See ya tomorrow.
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