30 days: Change your habits, Change your life

Stop thinking about work
when you are home. Worrying about something that can’t be
changed at the moment is wasted energy.
Think about what you
can do about it tomorrow at work and forget about it for now.
Questions:
• Where do you see the excess in your life?
• Do you have too many things you don’t need or use?
• Is your schedule always booked?
• Do you have time in your schedule for yourself and the things you
enjoy doing?
• What are the most important tasks in your day-to-day life (home
and/or work)?
• Which of these tasks can be easily delegated, automated or
eliminated?

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44
Smile more!
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but
sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
—THÍCH NHÂT HANH
Smile! Even if you don’t feel like it! Smiling improves the quality of
your life, health and relationships. If you don’t do it already, start to
smile 
consciously
today
.
Although I can’t confirm the study cited in
many self-help books and blogs that 4- to 6-year-olds laugh 300–400
times a day and adults only 15, it might well be true. Just take our
personal experiences with kids and honestly it fits very well with the
results of the study. 
What is confirmed is that laughing and
smiling is extremely good for your health. Science has
demonstrated that laughing or smiling a lot daily improves your
mental state and your creativity. So laugh more. M
ake it a point
to watch at least an hour of comedy or fun stuff a day and laugh until
tears roll down your cheeks. You’ll feel a lot better and full of energy
once you start this habit. Try it out.
A study by Tara Kraft and Sarah Pressman at the University of
Kansas demonstrated that smiling can alter your stress response in
difficult situations. The study showed that it can slow your heart rate
down and decrease stress levels—even if you are not feeling happy.
Smiling sends a signal to your brain that things are all right. See also
Chapter 60 (Fake it till you make it) and Chapter 61 (Change your
posture). Just try it next time you feel stressed or overwhelmed, and
let me know if it works. If you think you have no reason at all to
smile, hold a pen or a chopstick with your teeth. It simulates a smile
and might produce the same effect. If you need even more

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incentives for smiling, search for the study by Wayne University on
smiling which has found a link between smiling and longevity. When
you smile, your entire body sends out the message “Life is great” to
the world. Studies show that smiling people are perceived as more
confident and more likely to be trusted. People just feel good around
them. Further benefits of smiling are that it:
• Releases serotonin (makes us feel good);
• Releases endorphins (lowers pain);
• Lowers blood pressure;
• Increases clarity;
• Boosts the functioning of your immune system;
• Provides a more positive outlook on life (Try being a pessimist
while you smile…).