As we roll into the fall here in the US, it’s always of time for the last push toward year end with the kids back in school, vacations ending and a refocus of getting business results finalized before year end. Something you might notice in your community is that with everyone back to the normal routine (post vacation/summer) many individuals are walking their pups, biking (more concentrated rush hour traffic) and enjoying the cooler fall weather outside.

What better time to see the surprising power of hello with a wave of the hand than now. One interesting aspect of cycling is that it’s the norm to wave to a rider coming the other direction and also to cars and trucks. When you build the simple hand gesture of signaling hello, you will feel the power of body language.

If you initiate the wave, it typically will result in a smile and a wave from the other individual. In the world of constant head looking down to the smartphone, consider looking up and starting to wave to individuals you see in your community.

After the Wave stimulate good feelings with a smile

A genuine smile not only stimulates your own sense of well being, it also tells those around you that you are approachable, cooperative, and trustworthy. A genuine smile comes on slowly, crinkles the eyes, lights up the face, and fades away slowly. Most importantly, smiling with a hand wave directly influences how other people respond to you. When you smile or wave at someone, they almost always smile and wave in return. And, because facial expressions trigger corresponding feelings, the smile you get back actually changes that person’s emotional state in a positive way.

Practice it: Over the next week, wave to anyone you see and say hi, notice how it improves your mood and overall happiness. It works!

Kick off the fall season by feeling happy and wave a little bit!