Fake It Till You Make IT

I just told someone it's all up hill from here. They are pretty words that were meant to encourage someone not to dwell on the bad, and that it is going to get better. I didn't know her, but saw the pain in her eyes. So, I told her pretty words, as I finished her transaction, so that she might not let one bad stressful situation ruin her day. Looking back on it I'm glad that I said it, but I must ask myself why can't I live up to those words? All too often I'm guilty of living a do as I say and not as I do life. I work to encourage others, but I let my own stress ruin my day.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”. Our thoughts dictate how we react to things, how we treat others and ultimately if we have good days or bad days. So why is it that so many, including me, decide to have crazy stress filled bad days? The answer is not always simple.

We as humans want to have good days, but we have a tendency to dwell on the negative.

Negative thoughts have many different causes. We as humans have a very strong fight or flight reflex and I think that may be part of the problem. I think this fight or flight response is the reason so many people have so much stress and anxiety about the future.

In order to survive, humans had to learn to see patterns for when a predator was around and how to avoid them. This created a natural fear of the future. A fear that seem to be rooted deep into the mind and maybe even DNA. We look for disaster and all too often we find it.

I also think, that this natural response to negative situations is why some of us cower when we feel attacked. Even if that attack is verbally. I have seen this many times in myself when I feel attacked, or stressed, I try to hide from the situation that is causing it. If I can't, all too often I start shaking, and thinking about how do I escape. This has caused many problems in my day to day life and caused tension at work.

Something that helps me overcome this instinct was learning to trick my brain into thinking I'm happy. You're probably thinking something along the lines of: How do you trick your brain. Well, it's easier than it sounds. For an example: If you make yourself smile when faced with someone or something negative it tricks your brain to think it should be happy. That sounds crazy, but it has been comfirmed by science!

Dr. Isha Gupta a neurologist from IGEA Brain and Spine explains, "a smile spurs a chemical reaction in the brain, releasing certain hormones including dopamine and serotonin". Dopamine is often referred to as the " happy hormone", and serotonin is said to regulate anxiety, happiness and mood. These two neurotransmitters are very important in controlling our mood and health.

Stress is something that is probably never going away, but simply smiling can help you in more ways than we can imagine. Smiling is a simple way to reduce stress, anxiety and has amazing health benefits too. Life is to short to live tired and stressed. It may be hard at times, but science does support that faking it till you make it works. It just takes a little time and, as the song goes in the musical Annie, you're never fully dressed without a smile.

Sources:

Scaccia, A. (2020, August 19). Serotonin: Functions, normal range, side effects, and more. Healthline. Retrieved June 10, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/serotonin

Sheppard, S. (2021, May 29). What is dopamine? Verywell Mind. Retrieved June 10, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-dopamine-5185621

Ārepa, D. (n.d.). Research finds smiling can trick your brain into happiness and health. repa. Retrieved June 10, 2022, from https://drinkarepa.com/blogs/mindful-blog/smiling-can-trick-your-brain-into-happiness-and-boost-your-health#:~:text=The%20fact%20is%2C%20as%20Dr.%20Isha%20Gupta%20a,happiness.%20Serotonin%20release%20is%20associated%20with%20reduced%20stress.