Day 25: Half Smile
The communication between our facial expressions and our moods is a two-way street. We may experience an emotion and have a corresponding facial expression, we can also deliberately create a facial expression and send feedback to the brain that affect our moods.
Half Smile is one of the DBT skills whereby we deliberately show a genuine, semi-smile which will in turn have a positive effect on our mood. It’s just a slight, up-curling of the lips while the rest of the face relaxes. It’s not forced or over-done. The famous Mona Lisa portrait is a great example of the Half Smile.
The next time you are experiencing a sense of melancholy, try this to shift your mood.
Source(s):
Stop Sabotaging: A 31 Day DBT Challenge to Change Your Life
by Debbie Corso