Image Credit: For Harriet |
You
will often see people, going about with faces tight with tension, an unknown
sorrow and general discontent with the world. They shout and snap at the
slightest deemed altercation to them. You must have witnessed the sour-faced man
on the queue at the ATM who barks at you when your card gets stuck as if you
are the reason for the machine’s slow operation or the woman that scowls at you
for brushing against her lightly with your arm. Why are these people so serious? How
can you avoid going about with such a sad demeanour?
Don’t
take yourself too seriously
It
is often considered a negative trait to be unserious but there is also a thing
as too serious. While it is good to approach life with seriousness in going
about your tasks and aiming for success, you should not attach seriousness to
everything. Don’t be so serious that the little baby making faces at you over
the mother's shoulder does not make you smile even just a little. Don’t be so
serious that you cannot laugh at yourself sometimes.
Image Credit: Urban Belle Magazine |
Control
situations, don’t allow situation control you
There
are situations that occur beyond your control but it is wrong to think you
cannot control your reactions to such situations. You can choose to go about
unhappy about it or you can choose to stay happy despite the situation. Focus
on the solution out of the dreary situation instead of lounging in the depths of
despair over what could have been.
Keep away from triggers
The maxim that prevention is better than cure also works here. If you have identified situations that tend to trigger your episodes of being angry and unhappy, you should keep away from them. This can be your friends, family or co-workers. When you cannot realistically keep them out of your presence as in the case of a workplace, you should learn to zero their influence. When that annoying co-worker goes on in a meeting; poking at you, so that you can react, you can drift away into a twisted imagination that shows their neck stretched out, nose droopy and eyes bulgy. You may find yourself smiling to the chagrin of your tormentor and they will drop their badgering immediately they notice it’s not having the expected effect on you.
Image Credit: Daily Toast |
Have
a laugh siesta everyday
Most
people realise the importance of sleep to keeping good health but often neglect
the function of laughter. Laughter has been scientifically proven to release
happy hormones in the body which generally has an impact on your well-being.
Look for something to make you laugh everyday. It is easier nowadays with the
flock of funny skits that can be found online; you can watch one video daily
especially when you are having a bad time. After your dose of laughter, you
will feel better and be able to face the world not looking so weighed
down or angry.
So,
next time you get a feel of your serious face coming on, try to put these ideas
into practice. Your serious face could put an extra cloud to someone else’s day
so why not let your smile brighten their day instead.