Smiling produces a positive reaction in the brain that can instantly boost your mood. The effect is so powerful that you can affect those around you. Regularly smiling and laughing can lower your blood pressure and offer other physical health benefits.
How often do you smile?
Sometimes, our smiles get left by the wayside with all the stresses, worries, and distractions of daily life.
However, the best way to confront the rough waves of life is with a smile.
Not convinced? You will be once you learn about the benefits of smiling. Read on to discover these fantastic facts about smiling!
Health Benefits of Smiling
Have you ever heard of “happy chemicals?” They are neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins that improve your mood when released into your brain.
Interestingly, the mere act of smiling triggers the release of these chemicals. This means that even fake smiling benefits you.
These chemicals help you relax, which means you can manage stress better. Stress contributes to various health problems, including cardiovascular disease, insomnia, and cancer. Managing your stress better means seeing an improvement in those areas as well.
Along with the mental health boost, smiling and laughing have other positive physical effects on the body. You might notice that you get sick less often because of the increase in your immune system. Your blood pressure also might go down, and the release of endorphins can help ease chronic pain.
How Does Smiling Affect Those Around You?
A positive mood is generally contagious, and smiling is the outward exhibition of that. Furthermore, human beings are designed to mimic. When you see someone smiling, you feel drawn to smile yourself. So, plaster on that smile; you’re not the only one who will feel better!
10 Reasons to Smile
From health benefits to social benefits, there are many reasons to smile.
- You look more attractive: other people love a friendly face
- You’ll look younger: for some reason, we perceive happy people as more youthful people
- You’ll be more successful: others will naturally want to help and support you
- You’ll have more friends: smiling builds trust with other people more naturally
- You’ll affect others positively: it’s scientifically proven — smiles are contagious!
- You’ll have a stronger heart: less stress and lower blood pressure make a more robust heart.
- You’ll feel more positive: the mental health benefits will change your overall outlook.
- You’ll feel less pain: smiling can help combat chronic pain, though not a magic pill.
- You’ll get sick less often: a strong immune system helps keep the doctor away.
- You’ll live longer: the health benefits of smiling altogether will lead to a longer life.
Ready, Set, Smile!
Are there any disadvantages of smiling? If you smile often enough, you’ll end up with laugh lines on your face. However, we’re all going to end up with wrinkles anyway, and laugh lines are better than frown lines!
To sum up, we’ll leave you with this benefits of smiling quote, from Douglas Horton:
“Smile, it’s free therapy.”
