A reader from Singapore sent me this cartoon. Happiness in the workplace is a global concern. In an era of cost-cutting and bad news, this presents a clever, low-cost strategy for improving morale **
**Funny, yes? The thing is, studies have shown that even FAKE SMILES can have an impact on mood. That stems in part from the ‘fake it till you make it’ reality of the Mind-Body connection — when we act a part long enough, we eventually grow into the emotion, so smiling when you don’t feel it will, after a few minutes, lift your spirits a bit because you emotion races to match what you’re doing w/ your body.
The other reason why the Fake Smile exercise works is that other people are more likely to smile back at you when you wear a smile. Because we humans are emotionally contagious, others’ good feelings rub off on you, lightening your own mood a bit. Cool, huh?!
A Smile really is a powerful weapon in the fight against negativity at work!