The Small Conversation That Changed Everything

Why a single smile might be the most underrated strategy in your wellbeing toolkit.

A few days after delivering a training session on trauma-informed practice at a secondary school, I was walking through the school when a teacher stopped me in the corridor.

“You know that bit you said about smiling at students?” he began. “I’ve even tried it. My tutor group were always saying I was grumpy, so I thought… why not? I gave it a go — and it’s worked! Tutor time each morning is different now. Everyone’s more positive. There’s actual interaction going on. It just feels better.”

It was one of those short, unexpected conversations — the kind that sneaks up on you, but sticks with you.

It reminded me why we do this work in the first place.

It’s not just about training. It’s about tiny shifts.

In every session, we aim to share strategies, insights and tools that can help schools support young people better. But often, it’s not the fancy models or the well-designed handouts that make the biggest impact.

It’s the simple stuff — like the power of a smile.

Smiling might sound small or superficial, but it communicates something profound: I see you. You matter. I’m glad you’re here. In the world of trauma-informed practice, that kind of presence can be transformative.

Big change doesn’t always come with big noise.

That five-second story from a tutor tells me more than a dozen feedback forms ever could.

A teacher made a small change.

A group of students felt it.

The tone of a classroom shifted.

It wasn’t a grand gesture or a massive intervention — just a conscious decision to bring a different energy into the room. And that choice created a ripple effect of connection.

A smile doesn’t fix trauma. But it opens the door.

Let’s be clear: smiling at a young person doesn’t erase their challenges. But it does lay a foundation. It helps build trust. It signals safety. And in the right hands, it can be the beginning of something better — a relationship, a routine, a rhythm of support.

So if you’re ever wondering whether those little things matter — they do.

Try the Smile Test

Tomorrow morning, walk into your space — whether it’s a classroom, office, or kitchen table — and offer a genuine smile. Not the forced “I-haven’t-had-coffee-yet” kind. A real one.

Notice what changes.

Not just in them — in you.

Because sometimes, a small moment is all it takes to change everything.

If you’d like to explore more ways to support wellbeing and connection in your school, check out our free training sessions at Phase Hitchin. We’d love to help make those small shifts with big impact.

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