During my mastermind group session this week, I paid particular attention to how everyone looked on the call, including myself. I went back to review the recorded video, and when it was my time to speak, I didn’t recognize the person I was seeing.

In my “media presence” training, one of the first exercises you practice is speaking into a camera. Most people are still not used to this and some don’t even know where the camera is located! One major tip I also learned in my training is to post a photo of one of your favorite things (people, pets, or places) right above the camera. It helps to remind you to soften your face and smile. When I took one of my first jobs that required cold calling, my boss at the time told us to have a mirror on our desks and look at it when we were having a conversation. We took notice of how we sounded when we were smiling and laughing, and how the tone and sincerity of our voices were reflected in our facial expressions.

During a time when I was having physical difficulties due to stress, I asked myself what was missing. Aside from the obvious traumatic situations, what was I not doing physically that started the spark and created this fire in my body? I sadly realized that I wasn’t smiling or laughing as much as I used to. In fact, when I tried to smile it hurt as muscles strained in unknown territories. I tried to smile more and be mindful of the effect my smile had on my jaw and other facial muscles. We all have this secret weapon. Although the number varies, most researchers tell us that smiling uses far fewer muscles than frowning. Laughing and smiling result in beautiful lines around our eyes and mouths, but frowns result in wrinkles. So, what advice would I give to someone who came to me with this same problem?

• Laugh your stress away with “Laughter Yoga”
• Listen to your favorite happy music
• Watch your favorite sitcoms
• Consciously smile at everyone you come in contact with
• Play – with your children, pets, etc.

When we smile, we not only benefit from the physical use of our facial muscles but also release chemicals in our brains. Our brain activates neuropeptides that are designed to fend off stress. Some of you know the happy chemicals we naturally produce, including dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins that act as anti-depressants and lower anxiety. Because of these chemical reactions, we become more receptive to incoming information because we feel happy, relaxed, and open-minded. Our lightened selves signal to others to interact with us and that’s where the magic begins. That is where new ideas emerge and productivity increases. Studies show that happy employees have 10-15% more productivity than others. You’ve probably experienced the power of a smile yourself and noticed that when someone around you smiles, you tend to smile back– we are conditioned to do so.

When someone is depressed, health problems develop, and productivity decreases. There have been many studies on the effects happiness has on productivity at work. Check out this study done on Happiness and Productivity by the University of Chicago.

When you physically work somewhere, your routine most likely includes greeting a parking lot attendant, fellow commuters, doormen, concierge, and colleagues- all of who can share a simple smiling hello that fuels positive energy. When we are in person with one another at a meeting, our non-verbal transmitters are working 11,000,000 connections per second processing what we feel. This tends to become all the more difficult for those working remotely. Looking at a screen, our visual sense is dominant and we do not make as many facial expressions that exude happiness.

Here are a few thoughts for you to initiate immediately:

• Post a picture or image above your camera of a special person, place or thing that makes you laugh or smile
• Set an alarm for every hour to remind you to smile, massage your face, stretch, and breathe
• Experiment on the value of a smile and laughter when having a conversation, sensitive to the appropriateness
• Video-record yourself on a zoom call and see what others see
• Put a sticky note on your desktop with a smile button to remind you or as my colleague suggested, keep your tongue behind your teeth as a reminder to smile.
• Next time you go for morning coffee or tea, fill up your car or go to a store, initiate a hello and smile.

Remember this: Smile and the world smiles with you; frown and you frown alone. Here’s to your health, wellness, and productivity… I hope you are smiling now!