An easy way to look and act happy is smiling. But did you know that smiling can actually boost your mood? Smiling can induce feelings of happiness just as happiness can cause a smile. Try smiling with your whole face, not just your lips. Feel your cheeks and eyes change when engaging a large smile. This kind of smile is associated with positive emotions. If you're feeling upset or grumpy, combat those feelings with a smile. Try to connect with the sensations of smiling and begin to feel happiness. Getting through an uncomfortable situation while looking or feeling unfazed is a skill, and much can be attributed to confidence. If you have a presentation and feel fearful, tap into your innate confidence, even if public speaking is enough to make you run and hide. Tell yourself you can do it. Chances are if you exude confidence (even if it's forced or unnatural at first), people will believe you are competent. Speak loudly and clearly and act as if you are fully confident in your abilities. The opposite is true, too. If you go into a presentation feeling fearful, lots of things can give away your fear, such as shaky voice, lack of eye contact, acting flustered, etc. If you're closed off, looking down, or crossing your arms/legs, people may assume you are unapproachable. People with proper posture report higher levels of positive mood and self-esteem than slouchers. Changing your body language can help your mind believe that you are confident. Practice puffing your shoulders out (as a way to appear/feel bigger) or putting your hands on your hips. Practice doing triumphant poses, such as pumping your fist in the air before a nerve-racking situation. Relaxation can help calm any anxiety you may be feeling and can help you feel more at ease. If you are feeling tense, restless, or unhappy, try some relaxation techniques to help you feel more balanced. This can be especially helpful before a big presentation or something that makes you feel anxious. Slow your breathing and start counting your breaths, 4 seconds inhale, then 4 seconds exhale. Once this feels easy, extend to 6-second intervals, observing your breath moving in and out of your body. Use muscle relaxation to soften tense muscles. You can do progressive muscle relaxation, which focuses on different parts of your body at a time, releasing any tension you feel. Start with your toes, then work on muscle groups through your legs, hips, stomach, chest, arms, shoulders, and neck.

Summary: Smile. Fake competence. Adjust your body language. Relax.

During the healing process, eat foods that are soft. This can minimize pain and promote the healing process. You can temporarily switch to baby food, break down regular foods in a blender, or simply choose to eat softer foods. Some examples of soft foods that may help healing and reduce discomfort include: Eggs Ground and tender cuts of meats Creamy nut butters Canned or cooked fruit Steamed or well-cooked vegetables Rice Pasta Salty, spicy, and dry foods can make the pain from a cut on your tongue even worse. Alcoholic and caffeinated drinks can also increase your discomfort. Staying away from these foods and beverages can promote healing and ease pain. Dry mouth can make any pain or discomfort on your tongue worse. Drinking a lot of fluids throughout the day can minimize pain and promote healing. It can also prevent unpleasant mouth odor. Drink warm water with a few drops of lemon or lime if this is more comfortable. You may have discomfort or swelling on your tongue. Taking pain relievers such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium can ease your pain and minimize swelling. Follow dosing instruction given by your doctor or on the packaging.

Summary: Eat a soft diet. Avoid irritating foods and beverages. Drink plenty of water. Take a pain reliever.

Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication can be used to treat swelling around the nose that can result in a nose ring bump. This usually works for bumps and swelling caused by trauma such as a piercing. Try taking something like ibuprofen while symptoms persist. Make sure to check with a doctor or pharmacist if you're on any prescription medication. You want to make sure over-the-counter meds will not interfere poorly with your existing medication. Your piercer should have given you sea salt solution after you had your piercing done. If you do not have saline solution from your piercer, you can make it by mixing a cup of warm water with an eighth a teaspoon of salt. Soak your piercing regularly to reduce swelling and get rid of a nose ring bump. Place the sea salt in a cup of water. Move your head sideways and dip the pierced half of your nose into the solution. Leave your nose in the water for about 15 to 20 minutes. You can also dab a cotton ball in sea salt and apply it to your nose ring bump for 15 to 20 minutes, as this may be more comfortable. You can buy cortisone cream at most drug stores. It can help decrease swelling that results in a nose ring bump. You can apply the cream to the area surrounding your nose ring to reduce swelling. Make sure to read the instructions on the cream you choose to make sure you apply it properly.

Summary: Use anti-inflammatory medication. Do regular sea salt soaks. Try cortisone cream.

Outdoor cushions are going to get dirty there's no way around that. However, you can limit how dirty they get by brushing loose dirt from the surface whenever you notice it. This will prevent the dirt from becoming deeply ingrained in the fabric. To limit staining, try to wipe the spilled substance from the cushions right after it happens. If that's not possible, get rid of the spilled substance as soon as you notice it. The longer it sits on the fabric, the more ingrained the stain will become. When a liquid spill occurs, use a clean cloth to blot the substance up. Never rub the spilled liquid, since this will force it deeper into the fabric fibers. After you've soaked up as much as possible, proceed with the spot cleaning technique. Don't forget to sprinkle the corn starch on oil-based stains first.
Summary: Brush dirt off the fabric regularly. Wipe up spills as soon as possible. Blot gently at liquid spills.