Coming back to New England’s ever-changing weather conditions has probably kept you down after spending a week out in the gorgeous sunshine that came with Spring Break. Still, the weather, or even those unsettling midterm grades you just got back, should not keep you from smiling.
According to About.com expert Mark Stibich, Ph.D., smiling doesn’t just show that you’re happy. In fact, it even has some health benefits like relieving stress, lowering blood pressure and boosting your immune system. The Massachusetts Daily Collegian has compiled a list of 10 ways to make sure that every reader’s day is full of smiles.
Pickles the Etsy Hat Model
Etsy hats are all the rage nowadays. The only problem is that most people don’t look fashionable with foot-long moose ears hanging from their heads. The adorable pug Pickles does, though, and he can be found modeling Bernadette Goolsby’s Etsy hats that are designed for dogs in the “Sweethoots” section of Etsy.com. If this pup doesn’t make your lips curl, nothing will.
Go to Orchard Hill
Grab a blanket, Frisbees and a couple friends before heading out to Orchard Hill when the sun does decide to peak out. There’s nothing like being around other students smiling and soaking in the Central vibe to make you smile. After all, smiles are contagious.
Watch “PonPonPon”
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is a breakout star hailing from the Harajuku district of Tokyo, Japan. Her music video for “PonPonPon,” which has millions of hits on YouTube, has one of the weirdest concepts for a music video. Just imagine flying doughnuts, faceless dancing women and awkward choreography. If that concept alone doesn’t make you smile, the fact that you just spent the past few moments contemplating if this is real life will.
Go to Sweets and More
Sweets and More’s ice cream and dessert concoctions are filled with enough sugar to at least make you think that you’re happy. With flavors of ice cream that have names like “3 Geeks,” the only thing to be mad about is that this place isn’t open on weekends.
Botched Musical Performances
Even if you’re a bad singer yourself, it’s no secret that watching people’s embarrassing “American Idol” auditions or untalented pop stars attempt to not lip sync is one of America’s greatest guilty pleasures. The best examples of this are any of Lana Del Rey’s live performances. Her studio-created tunes might have deceived music lovers across the world but her “Saturday Night Live” performances made Rebecca Black look like the Aretha Franklin of our generation.
UMass Memes!
Tumblr made celebrity or politically-themed memes famous, but the Facebook page of memes dedicated to the University of Massachusetts proves that memes that are relevant to UMass student life are way funnier. These memes might not always be politically correct and usually succeed in offending at least one person but they are worth more than a few laughs.
Make Someone Else Smile
A lot of people seem to think that doing nice things for other people makes you feel better about yourself. Why not give it a try? The simplest things can make someone’s horrible day so much better, and seeing someone else’s face light up with a smile might be just the thing to turn your frown upside down. Tutor someone, hold the door for someone or even help an elderly person carry his or her groceries to their car. These are all things that not only mean a lot to someone but also build up good karma points.
Go to the Rec Center on Campus
It’s common knowledge that exercise relieves stress. It also makes you feel better about yourself, which should make most people happy. Even if a five-mile run doesn’t release enough endorphins to give you a runner’s high, fitting into a smaller pair of jeans will definitely make you smile.
Bad Lip Readings
For the politically inclined, visiting the “Bad Lip Readings” channel on Youtube is an instant smile inducer. If you’ve ever wanted to hear your least favorite presidential candidate make an idiot of themselves (not that everything that candidate says isn’t already cringe-inducing to you or anything…) then this is the perfect set of videos for you. Most of the videos are geared towards Democrats but there’s a few rare finds that will give Republicans a laugh or two as well.
Vent
Is someone responsible for why you’re not smiling? If so, write a letter to them and write down every last horrible thing that even the Devil himself couldn’t think of. Don’t give the letter to the person or share it with anyone else. Rip the letter to shreds and dispose of it, letting go all of the resentment you harbor inside. You might not get the closure that you want but at least you didn’t keep all of that built-up negative tension that’s keeping you from being happy. You never know – the sinister ideas you scribble down might get an evil chuckle or two out of you.
There’s a few exams, hours of studying, finals and five weeks between you and that long-awaited summer vacation but with this list, there’s no excuse to let that get you down. Most importantly, even when your tightly-crammed finals schedule is keeping you down, make sure to set aside some time for yourself. Smiling will do wonders for your mood and your health. So forget your troubles and show those pearly whites.
Stephen Margelony-Lajoie can be reached at [email protected].
