I recently came across a really cool technique while I was feeling down. I’d learned from this approach that it surprisingly worked, and quickly! It seemed a bit goofy at the moment, but after trying it, I found it extremely therapeutic. The nice part is it can be done from anywhere and does not require much. Try it out; only a few minutes of your time is needed!

When this emotional exercise first started, I had no idea where it was going. It was more of an eye roll and confusion. Here are the steps, but only participate if you’re all in:

• It starts by looking at a picture (in this case I will use emojis) and the idea is to imitate the expressions based on what you believe the emotion is.
• What emotion is being expressed here: 😊? Mock the expression exactly as you see it. Now, think about what you’re feeling. Did it change from when you first started?
• Try this one: 😒
• Try this one: 😲
• This one: 😭
• This one: 🤪
• Now, go through each of these one-by-one and make each face for five seconds.

The goal is to practice changing facial expressions on-demand. I wouldn’t recommend doing this in front of a mirror because it isn’t about how you look but about how you feel.

If you’re feeling crappy then this is good practice to change your emotional expression and, eventually, your mental state. If you ever notice negative emotions rising, then take a moment to yourself and add this into your reflection.

If you need motivation, try watching this video on guessing the seven basic emotions and mocking them as they appear, or try looking at an emotion facial chart (but copy the negative and positive emotions, not cheating).

Trick your behavior by mocking these facial expressions to become real empathy.

I hope this helps your morning, afternoon, or evening in some small way! Subscribe below and see you next time!