10 Surprising Benefits of Smiling
10 Surprising Benefits of Smiling: Why You Should Smile Every Day
We have all heard of different plans, weight loss and exercise programs that are bound to improve your health. It all seems so confusing and contradictory. But what if there was something simpler out there that we all can do to improve our health? And what if that something is right under our noses? Literally!
You may scoff at this. You may even laugh at the notion! Well good you’re on the right path to good health. One may never believe all the health benefits of smiling but they are real. Smiling is a great way to make yourself stand out while helping your body to function better. Smile to improve your health, your stress level, and your attractiveness.
1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive
We are drawn to people who smile. There is an attraction factor. Smiling is a natural attraction factor. We tend to be drawn to people who smile. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away — but a smile draws them in.
2. Smiling Changes Our Mood
Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There’s a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood.
3. Smiling Is Contagious
When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them. Smile lots and you will draw people to you. When you smile at friends, family, fellow students and even stranger you not only boost your own health and beauty, you also send a positive message that can potentially change someone else’s mood for the better. The stranger you graced with your smile may go on to pass the kindness to someone else. Who knows how far your original smile will travel?
4. Smiling Relieves Stress
Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you’ll be better able to take action.
5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System
Smiling helps the immune system to work better. Various studies conducted over the years have shown that smiling and laughter can boost the functioning of the immune system. When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. This may help to reduce your risk of developing everything from the common cold to chronic diseases such as cancer. Could there be a less expensive medicine than this?
6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure
When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?
7. Smiling Kills Pain
Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Endorphins are the same group of hormones responsible for the runners high you hear so much about. If you don’t have time to get to the gym for a hard run, try adding a smile and a bit of laughter to boost these natural, stress relieving hormones. Say no to ineffective and harmful drugs. Smiling is a natural drug.
8. Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger
The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don’t go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day — you’ll look younger and feel better.
9. Smiling Makes You Seem Successful
When you smile, appear more confident, more capable, more confident, are more likely to be promoted, and more likely to be approached. Given the choice between two equally qualified job candidates, the smiling candidate is going to be perceived as being more of a team player and easier to work with. Who do you think is more likely to get the job offer? So next time you go for a job interview, just smile and see how well everyone reacts to you.
10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive
Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It’s hard. When we smile our body is sending the rest of us a message that “Life is Good!” Stay away from depression, stress and worry by smiling.
Bonus reason to smile: You’ll Live Longer
According to a study published in the November 2004 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, elderly optimistic people, those who expected good things to happen (rather than bad things), were less likely to die than pessimists.
On a final note: Even though life may seem a bit rough sometimes, one should always take the time out to just smile and laugh their way through life. The next time you’re tempted to face the world with a frown, remember another old quotation. “It takes seventeen muscles to smile and forty-three to frown”. Just remember to smile and the world smiles with you.
There you have it folks, the beautiful benefits of smiling. Not only does it make you look quite attractive but it also has quite the health benefits. Thank you for reading! Enjoy your day!