Compliments are one of the biggest forms of positive reinforcement, but what many people do not realize is that they work almost as well for the person giving the compliment as well as for the person receiving it. If you want to feel great about yourself and spread some positivity to others as well, try giving someone a compliment.
You can tell a coworker they did a great job on a project, tell a friend how great their new haircut looks, or just remind your pet that they’re the best boy in the world. As long as you’re saying something nice and genuine, you’re guaranteed to get an instant mood boost.
If you don’t know the person well, this is your opportunity to do so.
I am almost sure that here is someone you don’t truly know at your workplace, and this is your chance to get to know them better. Hanging out with friends can be a great pick-me-up—but if everyone is busy, talking to strangers may give you a similar boost. Even people who had short conversations with the barista at their local coffee shop had a more positive perspective than those who kept the transaction short and sweet.
And if you can’t talk to them now for some reason, sometimes a smile is almost as good.
Smiling can make you feel just as good on the inside as you’ll look doing it on the outside and it is not something we do enough sometimes. We’re not talking here about the shy semi-smile, with the twist of the head showing your neck and a flick of the hair (yes you know what I’m talking about – or – if you are a guy and you don’t know, give me a call since you need help in some areas – and don’t feel bad about it – at one point in life I was as unaware of what it mean as some other men still are).