Ever heard of the expression “fake it till you make it?” I’m sure just about everyone has. It sounds silly, and, on the surface, it doesn’t seem like there’s much substance to the cliche. There’s a technical term for it, and it’s called “acting as if.” And there’s a reason it has a name: it works. I, like every single other person, have found myself dwelling in a low, unproductive spot, and felt like something really significant would have to change in order to lift my mood. But sometimes, all that needs to change is our effort! Not to say that when we’re feeling down it’s because we simply aren’t putting enough effort into being happy, but I have found that the expression “fake it till you make it” definitely has some validity! Even just smiling or “fake laughing” can literally trick your brain into thinking that you actually are feeling great, so it releases those “feel good” hormones (i.e. endorphins) so that you really do feel happy!
In my own life, I have had days where I have felt like I shouldn’t even be allowed to socialize with people because I’m in THAT bad of a mood…but somehow when I get to work I tell myself to just fake it till I make it-act happy and upbeat like I normally am. And it’s like magic-I somehow leave having accomplished faking it till I’ve made it. In other words, my efforts to keep my energy up and be happy, even if it’s not genuine, have actually sustained, and now here I am, two hours later, genuinely happy! Studies have even shown the effectiveness of the simple, cliche mantra, and I’m sticking to it! So when you’re feeling down, just try to fake it till you make it-you’ll be amazed!
