Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up in the morning feeling completely miserable? The alarm went off too early; you couldn’t find your car keys, you need more coffee—I could go on and on. Whatever the case may be, you’re in a bad mood. But, then something happens – maybe it’s something funny, or some says something sweet to you – and you smile. And, suddenly you feel better. The smile made you feel better. It lightened the mood 100%, brought a sense of calm to your body and mind and it made all those bad early morning feelings go away. A smile is kind of magical. If that sounds sort of dreamy – turns out, it’s scientifically proven – a smile can change your mood and in turn, be good for your health. Want to learn more? Keep reading.
How Forcing a Smile Can Change Your Health
Here’s what Psychology Today has to say about the positive effects of smiling:
How Smiling Affects Your Brain
Each time you smile you throw a little feel-good party in your brain. The act of smiling activates neural messaging that benefits your health and happiness.
Isn’t that a fun way of thinking about it? Each time I smile, a feel-good party happens in my brain…I love that! Here are a few more details via Psychology Today:
For starters, smiling activates the release of neuropeptides that work toward fighting off stress. Neuropeptides are tiny molecules that allow neurons to communicate. They facilitate messaging to the whole body when we are happy, sad, angry, depressed, excited. The feel-good neurotransmitters dopamine, endorphins and serotonin are all released when a smile flashes across your face as well. This not only relaxes your body, but it can lower your heart rate and blood pressure.
The endorphins also act as a natural pain reliever – 100% organically and without the potential negative side effects of synthetic concoctions.
It’s pretty awesome knowing that something as sweet and simple as a smile can truly have positive effects on your health. The idea that we can relieve ourselves of our stress simply by smiling means we all should start smiling a little bit more. Next time you have that bad morning, a tough day at the office or an argument with your spouse, stop and think about turning things around with a smile. As mentioned above, you can lower stress, lower your heart rate and blood pressure and it even acts as a natural pain reliever. The body is pretty amazing. Have you ever noticed a difference in your mind and body when you smile?
