Nobody Smiles During Hellweek (well almost nobody)

The Importance of Smiling and Laughing During Stressful Times

While there are moments to be serious and focused on getting things done, there will be times when laughter and smiling can help you mitigate the hormonal effects of high physical and mental stress.  Here is a video intro I did the other day prior to a LIVE QA session about the topic, as Hellweek was getting underway:

Could a Smile Be the Simplest Biohack for Feeling Better?

It sounds almost too easy to be true, but science suggests that even a deliberate smile can give your brain and body a small boost. What if one of the fastest ways to shift your mood was already built into your face?

Smiling may seem trivial, even cheesy, in a world obsessed with supplements, cold plunges, and high-performance wellness rituals. But this simple human reflex may be one of the most underrated mind-body tools we have. Research suggests that smiling, even when it’s intentional rather than spontaneous, can gently nudge the brain toward a more positive emotional state. The effect isn’t massive, and it’s not a cure-all, but it may be real enough to count as a legitimate micro-biohack. It may be the difference between quitting or keep on going when tired, stressed, and in a difficult situation. 

The idea is rooted in something scientists call the facial feedback hypothesis: the notion that facial expressions don’t just reflect how we feel, they can also help shape it. In other words, the act of smiling may send signals back to the brain that subtly reinforce happiness, reduce stress, or help the body recover more quickly from tension. Add laughter to the mix, and the effect may extend beyond mood into stress regulation, social bonding, and overall resilience.

That doesn’t mean you should grin your way through burnout or pretend serious emotional pain can be fixed with a cheesy smile. But if you’re looking for a low-effort, no-cost way to support your mental and physical state, smiling may deserve more respect than it gets. 

Laughing and Smiling and Focusing on What is Next...

Laughter deserves its own place in this conversation, because it may be one of the body’s fastest ways to interrupt stress. When life feels threatening, overwhelming, or painfully tense, laughter can act like an internal pressure valve, shifting breathing, loosening muscle tension, and softening the body’s state of alarm. That is why laughing under stress is not necessarily a denial of the situation. In many cases, it is a deeply human way of coping.

There is real science behind laughing. Research suggests that spontaneous laughter can reduce cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, and may help people recover more quickly from acute strain. Evolutionary researchers also argue that laughter likely helped humans survive by signaling safety, strengthening social bonds, and making groups more resilient under pressure. In that sense, laughter is more than entertainment. It is a built-in survival tool: a way to regulate stress, restore connection, and remind the nervous system that not every hard moment is permanent.

Last One In is a Rotten Egg

Have you ever considered that a simple laugh could be your stress antidote and completely change your mood and attitude? I’ve experienced firsthand how laughter brings relief and clarity amidst chaos and negativity. I remember the first day after hellweek, one of the first things the instructors had us do was get wet and sandy. After 5 days of being wet and sandy and spending the weekend nursing the aches and chaffing of that week, no one wanted to get wet again. You could feel the negative energy as we hobbled toward the surf zone until someone said, "Well, last one in is a rotten egg." That little joke made us all laugh at ourselves and helped make the moment easier to digest. 

I invite you to explore the journey of stress relief through as many natural ways as possible. Sleep, nutrition, hydration, breathing, smiling, and laughter are our tools to do this each day. Check out this stress-mitigation article: The Balance of Personal, Professional, Physical/Emotional - Stress and Recovery. Join the LIVE QA sessions on Monday and Tuesday, 9am EST (YouTube/Instagram) to learn how to integrate the natural recovery tools into your daily life. By actively pursuing recovery as a vital part of your toolkit for managing life’s challenges, you may find that it leads to both optimal performance and longevity. 

Here is a list of what we do at StewSmithFitness.com

Our Core Mission 

• Tactical Fitness Training For the Candidate / Recruit: Specializing in preparing individuals for military, special ops, law enforcement, and firefighter selection programs (getting you "TO and THROUGH" training). 
  
  
• Functional Training for Both Active Duty / Recruits: Utilizing a seasonal tactical fitness periodization system that balances longer workouts of running/rucking, swimming, and calisthenics during the Spring/Summer when days are longer. Then, the focus shifts in the Fall/Winter to lifting (Cals/cardio maintenance) when the days are shorter/colder. This process has 25 years of proven success building tactical athletes who improve in all areas of fitness: strength, power, speed, agility, endurance, muscle stamina, mobility, flexibility, and grip.
  
  Becoming an Asset for All Types: Even non-tactical athletes want to be of use in situations that require some level of fitness to get through the day. Be an asset, not a liability, in potentially dangerous situations, whether natural or man-made. Fitness can be a common denominator in successfully enduring life-or-death scenarios. 

Specific Programs & Courses

• The Ageless Athlete (Fitness Over 50): A 22-week program designed for beginners to advanced trainees looking to regain fitness, flexibility, and energy.
  
  
• Tactical Fitness Over 40: After training people for over 25 years now, many who started with me in the early 2000s are now in their 40s and beyond. Learning how to shift training to remain an asset while also offering longevity, flexibility, and mobility is central to this 52-week program. (4-part series)
  
  
• Tactical Fitness Course: An 80-minute course on preparing for Spec Ops selection, getting TO and THROUGH the toughest military special ops’ programs using this two-phase system.
  
  
  Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization - A 25 Year proven system to become a tactical athlete. 
  
  
• The Never Quit Mindset Book and Course: The "Never Quit Mindset" book and course is a deep dive into building constructive habits that incrementally improve discipline, build mental toughness, and foster a Never Quit Mindset in anything you want to do.
  
  
• Specialized Workout Plans: Specific, tailored programs for Navy SEAL (Phases 1-4), SWCC, Army (SF/Ranger/Airborne), USMC MarSOC / (RECON), Air Force (PJ/CCT), Coast Guard, Law Enforcement (FBI/DEA/FLETC), Fire Fighter, and general fitness too for beginners and advanced athletes alike.
  
  
  

Resources and Content

• • Extensive Content Library: Over 1,000 free articles, 200+ podcasts, and social media content (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram) featuring Spec Ops swim critiques and LIVE QA sessions.
    
    
  • FREE Local Training for those preparing to serve! Check out HeroesofTomorrow.org for our location and schedule.
    
    
    
  • NEW SKOOL.com Tactical Fitness Community
    
    
  • Educational Materials: Over 40 options for eBooks, videos, printed books, podcasts (200+), and online video courses.
    
    
  • Apps: Pushup Push, Pullup Push, FBI workout, and Navy SEAL exercise apps (iPhone/Android).
    
    
  • LIVE QA Sessions Each Week: Monday and Tuesday, 9 am EST on social media platforms (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook) and Skool.com Tactical Fitness community.
    
    
  • Online Coaching: Personalized programming based on specific goals, equipment, and your time availability.
    
    
  • Membership Site: Access to hundreds of weeks of training, unpublished workouts, and exclusive content, weekly newsletter sent to subscribers with the week's latest articles, videos, and workouts (beginner/intermediate, and advanced special ops prep workouts).

Training is What We Do:  

Need Programming for Fitness Tests and Beyond?  We are all about getting you TO and THROUGH your future training program.  See how that works.