People have always been told to smile more for no apparent reason. Usually the lines could go from, “Smile more, you look good with it,” to something like “You should smile because you’d look prettier.” There is nothing wrong with not smiling when people don’t feel like it or when some people naturally have a more aloof expression when they’re relaxed. However, there are some known benefits to smiling a lot. Here are five reasons why people should smile more often.
Smiling makes you happier
Ever heard of the expression “Fake it till you make it”? Well, sometimes people can trick their minds to be happier when they smile. Even when they’re not happy; once they smile, the endorphins in the brain are released and the overall mood gets improved. This is mostly because the human body's natural mechanism associates smiling with pleasant situations. The next time people get into an awkward situation or conversation, they could try to smile and see what happens next to their mood.
Smiling makes you healthier
When people smile, their bodies release a lot of positive hormones. More positive hormones lead to more white blood cells which are part of the body’s immune system. People will have better mood regulations and less stress this way since the body only needs to focus on maintaining their current health. Staying healthy and not getting sick as often is important for everyone, yes?
Smiling makes you look younger
Age is just a number they say but smiling can tweak that number in the eyes of others. The
debate for the number of muscles it would take to smile verses to frown is still ongoing but there are easier ways to see if people look younger when they smile or not. Take a group photo with a bunch of close friends with a big age range and give it to an acquaintance to guess their individual ages. People often guess the smiling people’s ages a lot younger than they actually are. So smile more, because you look younger that way!
Smiling gives a good impression
Think of the days people try to talk in a room full of strangers. Usually, the ones who hang around by the walls or barge right through the door, talk to the smiling ones first simply because smiling is associated with positive traits. People perceive someone who smiles often to be friendlier and more approachable. During job interviews or in the workplace, the ones who smile can also look more confident.
Smiling is contagious
Sometimes an easy way to cheer someone up is by smiling at him or her. Smiling may not be as contagious as laughing but it is still associated with a positive feeling. There was a study conducted in Sweden where participants were instructed to frown when shown a smiling photo or someone smiling. The participants were reported to not have followed the instructions. They smiled back at those photos of smiling people instead. Perhaps this is why people say that when people are happy, they have the power to make other people happy.
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