02/21/2017
We cannot always control what happens to us, but without a doubt we can control how much we smile so as to improve our internal (psychological and physical) and external (social) experience.
Smiling makes us appear much more attractive to others. People are attracted to and are more socially open to interact with others who are smiling. A smile is an invitation to engage in the here and now.
The act of Smiling activate in our brain the release of neurotransmitters that make us feel happy and counter stress. The release is triggered by the movements of muscles in our face, which is interpreted by the brain, which in turn releases the chemicals responsible for making us feel happy and help lower stress levels.
So, the “feel good” neurotransmitters dopamine, endorphin and serotonin are released when a smile flashes across our faces, which in turn relaxes our body, and lowers heart rate and blood pressure. The endorphins also act as a natural pain reliever and the serotonin serves as a natural anti-depressant.
Interesting to note that faking a smile works as well as the real thing - the brain doesn’t differentiate between real and fake as it interprets the positioning of the facial muscles in the same way. So make a point of smiling also under stressful situations and benefit from its calming and mood lifting effects.
Moreover, when smiling, the brain is aware of the activity and actually keeps track of it. The more you smile, the more effective you are at breaking the brain’s natural tendency to think negatively. Smiling often allows for the rewiring of the brain to make positive patterns more often than it does negative ones. The more you smile, the more signals your brain will have to mentally shift to positive thoughts even when you might be in a situation that would normally causes you discomfort.
So don’t you want to smile a lot more often?
