“Keep smiling because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about” – Marilyn Monroe

 

LaughterDid you know that your smile has special powers in that it is contagious?  All mothers with babies know that smiling can induce positive feelings and often causes a positive reaction in others. The more you smile, the more you halt the brain’s natural tendency to think negatively, thus rewiring your brain to make more positive patterns than negative ones.

Here are the top 3 ways that smiling can end up changing your day:

  1. Improves Your Mood – Smiling happens naturally when you’re happy, and it makes you appear more attractive to others…boosting your mood and the moods of those around you. Since smiling is shown to improve your mood it, at the same time, reduces stress. Smiling activates areas of the brain that triggers the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine and serotonin….causing feelings of happiness and well-being.  Even better, your smile doesn’t have to be real…you can fake a smile and still get the same results! Smile and you feel happy; you feel happy and you smile!
  1. Makes You More Attractive – Everyone always says that you actually look better when you smile. Why do you think photographers always ask you to smile?!? When you smile, you’re seen as relaxed, genuine, and attractive.  The facial expression of positive emotions, such as smiling, unconsciously influences the way we perceive emotions. If you smile, you’re obviously perceived as being happy, and happy people are more attractive than unhappy or angry people.
  2. Build Better Relationships – Smiling is a key factor for creating and maintaining healthy friendships. For example, when someone is smiling at you it indicates that they like you. And when you’re engaged in conversation with someone who is smiling back at you, it gives you confidence and a feeling of happiness that what you’re saying really matters.  In addition, smiling is vital when it comes to first impressions. Smiling when you first meet someone shows that you’re a positive person and happy to meet them.  Can you imagine meeting someone for the first time, and they greet you with a deadpan expression? First impressions are long-lasting.

Senior Couple Sitting On Outdoor Seat TogetherIt’s hard to imagine that all of this can come from just one simple smile. Here is something interesting. Researcher LaFrance concluded that, overall, women smile a lot more than men. This comes not just from the fact that they might be happier, but also, that socially, it is more acceptable for women to smile. (https://blog.bufferapp.com/the-science-of-smiling-a-guide-to-humans-most-powerful-gesture)