Why...you ask?!?
Doing so will place you in a more positive state of mind. Behavior always influences mood and vice versa.
Simply put...I divide all daily thoughts, activities, and expressions into three categories: cognitive processes, affective processes (emotional states) and behavior or CAB for short. When I work with people in regards to their stress management, we set-up a daily plan that addresses all three areas.
In other words, it's not enough to just have one approach to stress management.
For instance, many people use exercise (a behavioral approach) to manage their stress. This is very beneficial but not enough. If you truly want to build an unconquerable mindset, you also have to address how you think and how you feel.
A cognitive approach to stress management might be to write a daily journal.
So back to the smiling experiment. If feeling (affect) down a little, randomly smiling throughout the day will eventually change that emotional state. Although I divide various activities into the three approaches, some techniques will fall into more than one category.
The smiling experiment could be considered both an affective and behavioral approach since you making a facial movement several times throughout the day. Therefore, all three approaches are more like a circle, constantly influencing one another, change one area and the other two areas are influenced.
When I go for a long run, I hate doing it initially but know eventually I will experience that runner's high...and so it goes.
Read a lot about a variety of topics.
Try new activities whenever possible.
Have a daily fitness routine.
Reading a variety of topics will tap into a person's intellectual side (a cognitive approach).
Again, exercise is a healthy behavioral habit.
Finally, trying new activities has been shown to tap into a person's creative ability (effect, perhaps?) and gives them a whole host of benefits.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*
