This April Fool's Day, Prank Yourself - 3 Tricks to Fool Yourself Into Happiness


After break-ups, lay-offs and life's other bummer-ridden gems, pity parties have their place and can be helpful at first. However, there always comes a time when it's time to pick yourself up and blow the persistent metaphorical rain cloud out of your personal air space.

But what happens if you're still not actually feeling happy when you start getting the subtle signals from your inner circle that it's time to stop wallowing? The answer is simple: fake it until you make it.

Here are three ways to prank yourself into happiness this April Fool's Day and beyond:

SMILE AND STAND UP STRAIGHT.
By doing things that your body does when you're actually happy, you can trick your body into thinking it's happy. So next time you feel bummed out, check your posture and which direction the corners of your mouth are facing -- you'll fool yourself into a merry mood in no time.

PAY A COMPLIMENT.
A random girl in a coffee shop complimented me on my necklace the other day. It's my favorite necklace with a great story about how I found it, and after a couple minutes of chatting, we both walked away smiling.

The next day, I was in the gym and saw a girl with fantastic abs. Remembering the warm fuzzy feelings I got from my necklace compliment (and also being on the perfect-ab goal-train myself), I decided to let her know I was impressed. Her response? Overwhelming gratitude. Apparently, she'd adopted a new exercise/diet routine six months ago after her relationship broke up as a way to work through the recovery process. I was the first person to compliment her (a self-proclaimed desk potato) on something she'd become quite proud of. Again -- we both walked away smiling.

So the next time you see someone wearing something, doing something or having something you think is exceptional, let them know. Paying heartfelt compliments to strangers is a great way to spread a little love. It makes them feel great,which makes you feel great.

DO SOMETHING NICE FOR YOURSELF.

Reminding yourself of the good in your life -- small or big -- is a great way to add points to your personal happy-bank. So have an laughter-filled evening with good friends, buy yourself some pretty flowers, get a massage, go for a hike, settle down with a good book, or cuddle with your cat -- whatever small things you enjoy, do them. The little things can sometimes make the biggest difference. Seek out and enjoy life's small pleasures and you'll find happiness isn't far behind. Perhaps you're one of those people who are happy 100% of the time. If you are -- rock on. However, if you're like me and can use a little pick-me-up every once and a while depending on what's happening and how you're feeling, use these techniques to boost your mood. Trick yourself into happy and make today a great day.

Samantha Scholfield is a writer, dating coach and author of Screw Cupid: The Sassy Girl's Guide to Picking Up Hot Guys. Billed as a "considerably hipper author" than The Rules, she is currently working on the guy's version of Screw Cupid, due for publication in February 2011. www.screwcupidthebook.com.


BounceBack is changing the way people cope with heartbreak as a result of a breakup or divorce. BounceBack is a place to tell your story, get advice from experts, and share what you've learned with others in similar situations. We're here to remove the negative stigma around being heartbroken - this happens to everyone. And we believe everyone has the potential to bounce back to life and move forward. www.bouncebacktolife.com


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