How to look younger – laugh and smile more

I don’t tend to make New Year’s resolutions. However if I did this would be it

“SMILE MORE OFTEN!’

Laughing and smiling could well be called the elixir of youth. It is free, easy and very good for us. A good belly laugh can beat all those abdominal exercises. It works the muscles in your face, scalp, neck and shoulders. It also helps us release endorphins (our natural opiates) that boost our immune system. Even better it lowers our stress levels by reducing the cortisol we produce. What is not to smile about.

Are you getting enough mirth in your life? Personally I find friends and family with whom I feel relaxed and who often have a similar outlook on life can trigger spontaneous bursts of laughter. Everyone has their own triggers. I am not a great fan of stand up comedians, I am more of a life situation laugher. I can often see the funny side in the most ordinary situations and have even been known to have a fit of the giggles in most inappropriate places, that shoulder shaking experience when you are desperately trying to keep a straight face, which normally makes you want to laugh more.

A good way to generate more laughter might be to stop taking ourselves so seriously, some of the best laughs I have had have been at something I have said or done that just seemed absurd. Our society puts a lot of emphasis on “left brain thinking” and being very logical. If you can get out of this way of being and allow your “right brain” more freedom of expression you may well find that it will help you to feel the funny side of life.

Some of you might find the clip below amusing. Eddie Izzard on learning French. I certainly did (having said I am not normally a fan of stand up) This tickled my fancy. Enjoy.

There is a saying that we don’t stop laughing because you grow old. We grow old because you stop laughing

What make you laugh?

Thank you for reading. I really love to hear from you and appreciate the time you take to leave comments.

Fashion and Style, Beauty tips, Lifestyle

Chicatanyage

I write a fashion and beauty blog for women over 50 with the aim of inspiring mature women to continue to enjoy and have fun with their fashion choices. I have spent most of my working life in some way connected to fashion. I started my career in Fashion PR and then trained as an Image Consultant when my children were young. I subsequently worked in the corporate world running seminars, doing private coaching and speaking at conferences. I started my blog in 2009 as I wanted to share my years of experience working in the world of fashion. I truly believe we can continue to have confidence in the way we present ourselves. Our style may evolve with time and changing lifestyles, yet with a little knowledge and inspiration, we can all continue to have fun with fashion. As women of a certain age we are a growing demographic let us prove that we can also be a chic one.