Smile Therapy

Sit somewhere quietly. Smile for 10 seconds, then let your face rest for 20 seconds. Repeat.

Our bodies are equipped with a remarkable pharmacy, located in our brains...it's called the hypothalamus. It pumps out a chemical to go with every emotion,pleasant or unpleasant. 

There is a muscle at the top of the human cheek, near the outer corner of the eye. When it flexes, it tells the hypothalamus to excrete endorphins, the natural bio-chemical that brings us joy. The only way to flex this muscle is by smiling.

Even when we are feeling down, smiling therapy can physiologically alter our mood by pumping extra endorphins into our blood stream.