Perhaps the most compelling reason to smile is that it may lengthen your overall lifespan. One study found that genuine, intense smiling is associated with longer life. Overall, happy people seem to enjoy better health and longevity, though more research is needed to understand why that is. Research does suggest that happiness could increase lifespan by years—suggesting maintaining a happy, positive mood may be an important part of living a healthy lifestyle.
Stress can permeate our entire being, and it can really show up in our faces. Smiling not only helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed but it can actually help decrease stress. Believe it or not, smiling can reduce stress even if you don't feel like smiling or even if you fake it with a smile that isn't genuine. When you are stressed, take the time to put on a smile.
You and those around you will reap the benefits. Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There's a good chance your mood will change for the better. The physical act of smiling actually activates pathways in your brain that influence your emotional state—meaning that by adopting a happy facial expression, you can "trick" your mind into entering a state of happiness.
This holds true whether or not your smile is real. A simple smile can trigger the release of neuropeptides that improve your neural communication, as well as neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which can boost your mood. Think of smiling like a natural antidepressant. How many times have you heard that a smile has the power to light up the room?
While it is certainly a beautiful sentiment, it carries a hint of truth. Smiling not only has the ability to elevate your mood, but it can also change the moods of others for the better. Your brain automatically notices and interprets other people's facial expressions—and sometimes, you may even mimic them. That means that you might spot someone else's smile and unconsciously smile yourself.
Yes, it is scientifically proven that smiles are contagious. Smiling can also boost your overall health by helping your immune system to function more effectively. It is thought that when you smile, immune function improves because you are more relaxed thanks to the release of certain neurotransmitters.
Whether you're trying to maintain your overall health or strengthen your immune system ahead of cold and flu season, smiling may help.
Smiling could have a beneficial impact on your blood pressure. Laughter specifically seems to lower blood pressure, after causing an initial increase in heart rate and breathing.
While smiling has been shown to lower your heart rate in the face of stress, more research is needed to determine exactly how it reduces blood pressure.
Sometimes you just need the oxytocin the cuddle hormone to get on with the day. And that hug gives you such a lift you have to smile. Going to bed on a Friday night and waking up midday on Saturday, with nothing to do and nowhere you need to be, is awesome. When we remember there is nothing to do except relax, we smile and drift back into a peaceful slumber. Who knows, the recipe for pizza may have been hand delivered to us by an angel of God.
But certainly the idea of pizza was divinely inspired. How else do you explain how a boring, flat piece of dough topped with boring tomatoes and cheese looks and smells and tastes so very delicious? Just smile! Yes, Jane the Virgin chose Michael. It only took several months telling her that Michael is the one. The point is, she finally chose him, and now we feel like we need to go ahead and get a psychology degree because this is obviously our field.
After all your hard work finding the perfect lighting and the perfect filter, getting the composition just right, and standing in that awkward position … Baby girl, you earned it! Then you put your hand in your pocket and you feel this crumpled paper. Your eyes go wide as you withdraw your hand and you see it.
The word alone probably brings a smile to your face, so imagine what the first taste of it does, every single time. March 30, LaFrance M. Landis, C. Livingstone, M. Is it real? Or just low spatial frequency? Science, , Mehua, M. Perrett, D. Neuropsychologia, 41, — Ozono H. Yuki, M.
Cultural differences in using the eyes and mouth as cues to recognize emotions in Japan and the United States, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43, — This article inspired me to the point of exaggeration. This is where I prefer to reside.
Thank you for the insight and the inspiration in a new address to whom ever might enjoy the smile. Having just stumbled across this article, I appreciate its consideration of so many elements, such as gender, culture, social situation, and history. Measuring the hard science of smiles may help America learn the value of retaining smiles, and to be alarmed when america loses its smile. Studying how children lose their smiles is among the most important science any nation can do to measure its well being.
Pat — I would love more information about the study of how children loose their smile. Please share! I found this article very interesting and also very informative, with its research carried out by very reliable sources. I am currently researching for a project on well-being and this will be invaluable to me. It gives a whole range of situations where smile comes into effect. You made me smile. APS regularly opens certain online articles for discussion on our website.
Effective February , you must be a logged-in APS member to post comments. By posting a comment, you agree to our Community Guidelines and the display of your profile information, including your name and affiliation. For more information, please see our Community Guidelines. Scientists must strengthen our connections with the public to better ensure that accurate and modern insights into human behavior are used to inform decisions. Excerpts from the research of a few of the remarkable psychological scientists we said goodbye to this year.
APS priorities are echoed in the U. David Bullock April 17, Karen Hough March 25, Pat May 30, Charles August 31, Nshizirungu Emmanuel November 7, Matthew Cunningham February 20, He is there even during the pandemic. Enough said. Or ask them for tea, especially if it is raining. None of the delivery guys ever accept my offer but they smile.
Ask them to take care of themselves. Warn them to be careful if the stairs or the floor are wet. A funky coffee mug or a soft doormat or a carved book holder is a good idea. Tell her she does a great job.
That you could not shine the house as she did even in a hundred years. Do it often. A simple thank you when the help leaves is also precious. Gift something for the personal use of your helper instead of a family utility like rice and oil.
Think how would you feel if you would get a kilo of rice on your birthday? So maybe the same lipstick you wear? Or the same socks? Tell them how you both have the same one now. And no, not the saddest apple from the basket. That red ripe one I see right there. After every workday, my husband just wants to quickly recap what he did during the day or want to show me the elegant website pop up he designed.
Except for a few evenings when I am famished, I let him talk even if I am too tired to make any sense of the technical details that would even fly above the head of a Google scientist. Do you know that most of the time we are listening to someone we are just busy preparing a reply? Catch yourself the next time and then stop and listen. Audio record the recipe while cooking so that you always have a copy and the recipe is now easy to share, too. Let me know if you want the secrets of my mango prawns coconut curry.
And if you finish the toilet paper, replace it, or tell the housekeeping staff. You are making countless number of people happy. Especially now more than ever. Even if they say no, still bring a bag of banana chips or a few oranges or lemons. A gift as simple as some flavored candles also work. Especially if it is something they would never buy themselves. Not just pleasantry exchanges, but share a life instance with them, get the conversation going, and they would share with you, too.
We spend so much time with our colleagues or clients but generally never take a step to ask how they are and if everything is okay. I was a major grudge reservoir but when people held grudges against me, I realized how futile the whole idea is. Sometimes we cannot be with our friends or call them or be who they expect us to be because of our own terrible circumstances.
Let your dear ones make mistakes. Sit down, breathe, decide what you will eat. When people have moved, then get up to put it inside.
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