Peace Begins with a Smile

“Peace begins with a smile.” ~ Mother Teresa 

 

Did you know that smiling can help you recover from stress faster and reduce your heart rate? “When you smile, your brain releases tiny molecules called neuropeptides to help fight off stress,” states SCLHealth.org. Those then trigger dopamine (the happy hormone!), serotonin (your body’s natural antidepressant), and endorphins (an inherent pain reliever). With all those health-boosting benefits, a simple smile goes a long way to energizing the body along with the mind and soul. So why not smile more – and make those around you smile too. This small act of kindness is guaranteed to boost your own mood, too! 

Your top 5 tips for helping someone smile today 

1.    Give a genuine compliment 

From complimenting someone’s outfit on the metro to offering unsolicited encouragement to a loved one, recognizing another person’s effort is unparalleled to boosting their confidence and eliciting that smile. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture: we all just want to know we matter! 

2.    Reconnect with loved ones “just because” 

From sending “just because” flowers to mom or texting an old friend you haven’t spoken with in a while, taking a moment out of the daily grind to remind someone else you are still thinking of them goes a surprisingly long way to making their day. 

3.    Crack a dad joke 

Yes, they’re terrible, but that’s also why these outdated jokes and awful puns are an awesome tool for generating smiles! Brighten their day with one of these, and you both might end up in stitches… 

4.    Whole body listening 

Everyone is busy. That’s just par for the course these days. So being available, even if we don’t want to be or really “don’t have the time” to be is very important. Simply being there for someone is underrated when it comes to what it means to that person. 

5.    Smile! 

Yes, it’s that simple. It doesn’t cost anything, and it has incredible benefits for everyone involved. Imagine if we all smiled at someone instead of honking because they didn’t make that right turn fast enough? Smiling at everyone, every day, especially strangers, is a sure-fire way to get one in return – because who’s expecting it, really?! 

3 Bonus ways to get someone to smile: 

·     Let someone waiting in a parking lot in front of you in traffic. 

·     Hug someone you love! 

·     Ask your neighbor if they need anything while you’re running errands 

Smiles are universal to every culture and belief. It’s something we all share, so why not make the world a little happier, smile by smile? We look forward to seeing all your beautiful smiling faces around Homewood at Martinsburg. If you would like to smile more and see what our residents are smiling about, sign up for a tour on our website or call Aimee Lozinak today, 814-793-1314.