Relax Your Face

An old friend once observed that crazy people don’t smile. If that’s so, then the majority of us are bordering on the brink. Pope Francis recommends those who claim to have Jesus in their hearts may want to notify their faces—the same could be said to anyone professing Islamic, Buddhist or otherwise enlightened tendencies. As for smiling faces during the holiday season, yeah, right. I once worked with a kid who said she had the crabbiest customers of the year during her Christmas gig at Starbucks. So much for joy, peace and goodwill to all.

Relax your face. While you’re at it, drop your shoulders and inhale until your ribcage swells—but if that’s too much, just do the face. Do it, ’cause I bet you have no idea how tense your face is, and when it’s tense, it’s probably frowning. Or scowling. Or anxious. One thing is sure: it ain’t smiling.

I’m not suggesting you walk through life with a goofy grin in place. That would be unrealistic, not to mention ridiculous. I am suggesting, however, that a couple of times a day, take a minute to soften the muscles in your face, maybe even conjure a little smile while you’re folding laundry or mixing a batch of muffins. I tried it while disentangling Christmas tree lights and my BP improved in the same instant as my mood.

You must be aware of your face before you can soften it, however, so paying attention is the first step—especially in a neutral position, i.e., when you’re not engaged in some emotional hijinks or concentrating on a math problem. Try it when you’re alone and see for yourself: relaxing your face relaxes everything. It won’t solve your problems, but it softens a resistant stance. You might even feel a little better, too.

How can that be bad?