Sometimes with the Credit Crunch and everything else going on around us, it can be easy to feel we have nothing to smile about. So here are 7 great reasons to smile now. Want to know the secrets of why something so simple can be so transformational?

Smiling is contagious It doesn't matter whether you're in the office or at a bus stop, smiling is contagious. I'm not talking the kind of creepy, self-conscious, embarrassed smiles that make you cringe. I'm talking natural, friendly, happy smiles. Have you ever noticed how often people smile back when you smile at them?
Thinking a happier thought can turn your ship around Simply thinking a thought that is marginally happier than the last one you had can turn things around. You might be feeling glum and depressed, but a little smile and choosing a thought that feels better can transform your day.
Give someone the gift of a smile I smiled at a man in a shop today. He had been friendly and helpful and I said thank you, with a genuine, eye-contact smile. He positively beamed back at me, wished me a happy new year and we both went on our day feeling so much happier. Such a simple gift to share.
You can shift the mood in the room Frowns are contagious, too. If everyone in the room is grumpy and fed up, it's easy to get dragged into that mood. But smiling can influence everyone in the room and can rescue many a nightmare meeting.
You get what you think about Have you ever noticed how stubbing your toe on the bed as you get up can lead to a nightmare day? Yet opening the curtains to blue sky and sunshine can have the opposite effect? It's a proven fact that our mindset acts as a filter on our experience of the day. If we're thinking about stuff that stresses you out, we're likely to be spotting more and more stuff that stresses us. Smiling, and consciously looking for the sunshine in each activity, can profoundly improve your day!
Feeling grateful If you're finding it hard to raise a smile, how about thinking of something you feel grateful for? See if you can think of 3 things? Or even more? If you can switch your focus to things you feel grateful for even for just a minute, you'll have shifted your mood and that smile will be beaming.
Smiling makes you feel better It's a biological fact that the body produces its "happy chemicals" whether or not your smile is genuine! So smiling for 60 seconds will get it well on its way to giving you a natural high. Smiling literally makes you feel happier. Now isn't that worth knowing?

Bottom line? Even if at first you're faking it, the simple act of smiling makes you feel happier. And if you'd like some quick fixes, there are some great, easy techniques you can apply right now, to start feeling happier in less than 5 minutes.

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From Clare Josa, author, seminar leader, expert coach and Chief Happiness Experimenter for How To Feel Happier.