How Smiling can help you have an amazing holiday

I recently coached a client who was going on a dream holiday to the USA. His partner loves Theme Park rides. But he was really anxious, and didn't want that to spoil the holiday.

So I told him about smiling and how it sets you up for confidence.

He just messaged me.

"Just got back from the US. I went on pretty much every ride at Disney. I enjoyed all the rides (more than I thought I would). I just remembered what we talked about in regards to keep smiling. So I did that, and I just decided that even if I didn’t enjoy it, it would be over in a couple of minutes anyway"

How cool is that? 💥

What have you got to do today that scares you?

And what would happen if you smile as you did it? 😁

What the dentists don't tell you about wearing braces

I posted recently about the power of smiling and baring your teeth and how it automatically sets your body up to make you feel confident. 😁

Since then I've had several conversations with people who couldn't figure out why they weren't feeling confident recently. 😕

Guess what?

They all recently had dental braces fitted and were feeling self-conscious about them.

And this stopped them from smiling. 😐

Of course, when the braces are removed these people will be probably be grinning from ear to ear and feeling much more confident. But in the meantime, it's important to try and keep smiling, as hard as it may be.

If you know someone wearing braces but lacking some confidence, pass this on. It could really make a difference.

And if you know a dentist, perhaps they'd like to know about this too.

The secret to instant confidence

Want to feel INSTANTLY more confident in most situations? Smile and show your teeth.

From my previous post, you'll know that how you hold your body affects how you feel.

Smiling has has its roots in the primal assertion of dominance in the Animal Kingdom. If I'm showing you my teeth, you need to be worried because I might be about to eat you. But it has now evolved in humans, to be a behaviour that makes people feel relaxed and welcome, amongst other things.

But the physiology remains the same. If you smile you automatically feel more confident because that's how our bodies are wired. Smiling gets your body ready to be dominant.

And that's the thing that makes us feel confident.

I've taught this to all sorts of people, from software engineers who find it difficult to stand in front of a room of stakeholders, to people who are afraid of roller-coasters or turbulence on a transatlantic flight. If you smile - as broadly as as you can - it will significantly change the experience for you.

And as well as feeling more confident you'll make people feel safe and welcome to approach you.