Some of us are lucky enough to work in an environment where there are lots of smiles going around. Others, not so much.

When we smile, we feel more relaxed and happy. We all know it instinctively, but how often do we actively try to build a smile into our day? I am inviting you now to do so. For some, this might mean calling a friend who is likely to bring a smile to your face or talking to a colleague with whom you can share a joke. Maybe you’ll choose to watch five minutes of your favourite comedian. Or a Youtube video of a baby doing something ridiculously cute. Find some things that work for you and build one smiling activity into every day.

And if for some reason you can’t build in the five minutes that one of these activities would take, just try smiling for the heck of it! Yes, we smile because we are feeling happy. But it works both ways. When our facial muscles are activated in the form of a smile, it triggers pathways in the brain that help us feel relaxed and happy. So go on, try it! The silliness of smiling at nothing might just give you the giggles.

Stay tuned next week for the last installment of the workday stress-busting series. So simple, but so important!