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How often do we say… ‘a smile doesn’t cost you anything’, ‘smile, and the world smiles with you’, ‘it’s all in the smile’, ‘she/he must be happy’ and ‘the world looks brighter from behind a smile’, Unknown!
Sharing a smile or smiling to oneself offers psychological and beauty benefits that enhance your mood, attitude, outlook, thought processing and actual being!
Scientists states that when smiling our brains neurotransmitters release endorphins, painkillers and serotonin! Combined, these 3 neurotransmitters provides us with the ‘feel good factor’ which also relaxes our body and reduces physical pain!
According to Guillaume Duchenne, 1862 wrote, the zygomatic major (the muscle that resides in the cheek, tugs the lips upward) can be willed into action, but that only the “sweet emotions of the soul” force the orbicularis oculi (the muscle that encircles the eye socket) to contract can we have a genuine smile. Fast forward to current day,…
I find that smiles are not always sincere but are sometimes used to cover up deep negative emotional pain, fear, embarrassment, a mask to cover up the experiencing of anxiety, hurt, depression, etc. Becoming withdrawn, the, smile labelled, ‘I am ok’ becomes accepted and can be internalized. It is always harder to question someone who outwardly smiles and easier for the person who flashes a 5 second smile to quietly carry their wounds. However, Keltner and G Bonanno, 1997, claims that smiling through tough times does do a body good as we reflect happiness!
The range of health benefits are many:
1. Improved mood, positive thoughts and being a happier person.
2. Pain relief. Helps to relieve aches and pains
3. Lowers your blood pressure.
4. Stronger immune system
5. Stress reliever
6. Better relationships (study by the US National Library of Medicine)
7. Younger appearance (publ. Psychology & Aging, 2011)
So, smile at a stranger, it’s contagious and you never know, you may get a smile back, which may boost your energy, mood and overall well being. What does it cost? Nothing! It’s free and you never know, this may help the recipient of your smile 😊!
Talking therapy is a good place to start looking for the beautiful smile that you find difficult to reveal at times!
Smile
Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu
When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin.
When he smiled, I realized I'd passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile, then I realized its worth.
A single smile, just like mine could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin, don't leave it undetected.
Let's start an epidemic quick and get the world infected! Spike Milligan
Let’s talk x