Have you ever been told to smile and uplift your spirits? It might not be the most wanted advice, especially when weary, feeling miserable, or just sick. But, as cheesy as it may sound, there's a positive reason to smile. The simple act of smiling has been found to increase your immune system, reduce stress, improve your mood, and potentially even extend your life. According to a recently published article in Experimental Psychology journal, simply flexing your facial muscles to mimic a grin can trick the brain into feeling good. A smile triggers a chemical reaction in the brain, releasing hormones like serotonin and dopamine. Dopamine elevates our happiness levels and serotonin reduces stress. Both hormones in low levels are linked to depression.
Why Do It
To put it in different words, smiling can deceive your brain into thinking you are happy, leading to genuine emotions of joy. But the story does not end there. The science of psychoneuroimmunology, whis is the study of how the immune system is intrinsically bound to the brain, claims that depression lowers the immune system, whereas happiness boosts it. The mere act of smiling can help you build your immunity, because when you smile, the brain detects muscle activity and interprets it as a sign of humor.
The brain doesn't care if you're smiling because you're just acting happy or you are actually happy. Even forcing a phony smile can drop your heart rate and truly relieve stress and.
The brain doesn't care if you're smiling because you're just acting happy or you are actually happy. Even forcing a phony smile can drop your heart rate and truly relieve stress and.
Researchers at the University of Kansas discovered that smiling reduces the body's stress response and lowers heart rate in stressful settings; another study linked smiling to reduced blood pressure, while yet another suggested that smiling promotes longevity.
The Science Behind It
Researchers from the University of South Australia ran an experiment where participants had to hold a pencil between their teeth and elevate the corners of their mouth to mimic the facial movement of a smile. According to researchers, even if the participants' grins were simulated, their brains didn't notice. They discovered that forcing yourself to smile stimulates the amygdala, which produces neurotransmitters that promote an emotionally pleasant state.
The amygdala, known as the brain’s emotional center, processes anxiety, anger, and fear reactions. It also affects decision-making and memory. According to research, forcing yourself to smile excites the amygdala, leading to a chain reaction that will ultimately make you feel happy.
Are There Negatives To Faking Smiling?
According to MD Alex Dimitriu, pretending to be joyful when you're not doesn’ affect you negatively, since he believes the activity may boost your chances of acquiring a more optimistic view in general. And, he says, with enough practice, you might not need to fake the smile in the long run, which could lead to other positive changes in emotional and physical health. Dimitriu suggests to never underestimate the impact of anticipation, mindset, and positive conduct. The opposites are often observed in cases of clinical depression, which makes it more difficult to take steps for change and prolongs bad moods.
Make of It a Routine
A good practice is to purposefully spend 60 seconds smiling to boost our happiness. Make it part of your morning routine. And if something goes wrong during the day, take a couple of seconds to smile in front of a mirror and you will feel the difference almost immediately. It allows you to change your attitude rapidly and feel less stressed out.
