Let Your Face Move
Sometimes the face keeps holding a moment after the moment itself has passed.
The forehead stays drawn.
The jaw remains set.
The lips stay pressed together.
The eyes keep their narrow focus.
It may have begun with concentration.
Or worry.
Or irritation.
Or the effort to hold something back.
But now the face is still carrying the shape of it.
We usually try to change this from the inside.
We tell ourselves to relax.
We take a breath.
We try to think about something else.
Sometimes that helps.
But there is another small move.
Instead of asking the feeling to change first, let the face move out of the shape it has been holding.
Try this:
For about 30 seconds, gently make a few faces you would not normally make.
Raise and lower your eyebrows.
Wrinkle your forehead, then smooth it.
Puff out your cheeks, then release them.
Move your jaw gently from side to side.
Purse your lips, stretch them, or stick out your tongue.
Do not strain. Use only the movements that feel comfortable.
Then let your face become still.
Notice the area around your eyes, jaw, mouth, and forehead.
This may feel silly.
But that's the point.
The face spends much of the day being useful.
It looks attentive.
Polite.
Interested.
Capable.
Serious when seriousness is expected.
For a few seconds, give it a little freedom from all of that.
It only has to move.
You are not trying to put on a happy face.
You are not replacing one expression with a better one.
You are not forcing yourself into a different mood.
You are simply interrupting a held pattern for a moment.
Afterward, the same thought may still be there.
The same task may still need to be done.
The same feeling may still be present.
But perhaps your face no longer has to hold it quite so tightly.
The next time your face feels fixed in concentration, worry, or strain, do not demand that it relax.
Let it move first.
Then let it rest.
Looking for small ways to make more room in your life for what matters? Here's a guide that might be helpful: Making Your Days Your Own.