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Health & Fitness

Smile

Eve The Laughter Diva http://www.lovetolaugh.me

Every day, we each get to choose how we think about the world. Ancient wisdom encourages us to share Good News with each other, guarding against the negative thoughts in the world around us. It has been proclaimed, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). We are also encouraged to keep our minds focused on “whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8). So not only are we reminded that our thoughts influence the way we are, we are given a recipe for the direction in which those thoughts are to go.

So what does that have to do with your health? Let’s try an experiment. Actually do this right now — SMILE! Smile the biggest smile you can and hold it on your face for about 20 seconds. Go where you can see yourself in the mirror. Smile at yourself. If you think you look funny with a smile on your face, laugh!

After about 20 seconds of smiling, notice how you begin to feel. You will feel better than you did before you started smiling, and it is no accident. When you move the muscles of your face to create the smile, your body responds something like this — (“Hey, those muscles are smiling — must have missed something — face is smiling, that means we are having a good time, feeling good — guess we better tell the brain it is feeling good!”).

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SMILE! Smile the biggest smile you can and hold it on your face for about 20 seconds. After about 20 seconds of smiling, notice how you begin to feel. You will feel better than you did before you started smiling, and it is no accident.

Find out what's happening in Lake Forest-Lake Bluffwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Believe it or not, your body notices the physical position of your face (smiling) and sends out chemical messages to the rest of your body to help you feel better. In fact, while you are holding that smile on your face your immune system becomes a little stronger. It is really difficult for your mind and body to avoid feeling more positive than you did before — the chemical messages in your body are that powerful! This is dramatic evidence that refutes the idea that how you feel is just in your head. The messages that are sent throughout our body are carried by both nerve cells and chemical messengers called neural transmitters. Chemicals are not “just in your head” — they are physical, measurable substances that are throughout our bodies. Our thoughts become physical substances and this is the connection that allows our thoughts to impact our physical health.

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