Sit up straight in your chair and face the wall. (You don’t want your co-workers to see your mug while you're doing these drills! We really had trouble convincing our model to do them, too!) Pull your lips back in the biggest grin you can manage and hold for five seconds. Relax your face for five seconds. Then push your lips forward in a “Fish Face.” Hold another five seconds and relax. Now push your face to the left as far as it will go—try to push your lips toward your left ear. Then push your lips to the right ear, again holding for five seconds and relaxing. Repeat all four movements again.
For something more advanced...
Holding any facial contortion for five seconds, then relaxing, works well to induce a relaxation response. So become a gargoyle by developing your own grotesque faces. Pretend that your face is rubber and you can mould it in any shape you want. Scrunch it up, then relax—that’s the key.
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