SMILING HAS SUPERPOWERS
The song, "When you are smiling, when you are smiling, the whole world smiles with you." Yes, indeed, that song is exactly right. It not only makes you feel better but everyone that you smile at feels better also. Smiles are contagious. That is but just one of the many superpowers of a smile.
Research from the University of Missouri-Kansas City has shown that there are many benefits of smiling.
Benefits:
- Smiling can make you look younger. Hey, who doesn't like this idea? It is a perception of how other see you as being younger than you actually are. People with frowns were perceived as older.
- Smiling can make you look thinner. Sad faces that were flashed on a screen were perceived to be heftier. I found this to be surprising but maybe a mouth turned down in a frown might give the impression that the person is weighted down by unhappiness?
- Smiling elevates your mood and creates a sense of well-being. Every time you smile dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin are spreading in your brain. In other words, a party started in your brain, so to speak. Join in!
- Smiling induces more pleasure in the brain than chocolate. I had a little trouble believing this (depending on the chocolate) but British researchers found that one smile can generate the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 bars of chocolate. Hmmmm - just reporting what I found in research!
- Even a forced smile can lead to a mood boost. Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist author, said, "Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy." Research subjects directed to place a pencil between their teeth, forcing their lips into a smile, actually felt better. Odd, but true. So it is a good thing to put on a happy face.
- Smiles can predict fulfillment in marriage. Think about this for a moment. Who wants to live with a grouch?
- Smiling can make you seem courteous, likable, and competent. The speculation is that if you look sad and anxious then maybe others are wondering what you are up to. So really, it is good for your business.
- The span of a person's smile can predict lifespan. A smile can be worth seven extra years according to a Wayne University study. They looked over baseball cards. They discovered that players who didn't smile in their pictures lived an average of only 72.9 years. Players with beaming smiles lived an average of almost 80 years! Hank Aaron was born in 1934 and he passed away in 2021.
- Smiling is contagious. It lifts everyone's spirits. The one smiling, as well as those that are smiled at. Just smile!
Sometimes your insides just make you smile.
