Smile Your Way to Better Health! Take the Smile Challenge

Can smiling really change your mood? Can it really improve your health? Will it really make you more attractive?

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You've probably heard the old advice to 'put a smile on your face' or to 'turn your frown upside down', and quite possibly depending on your mood, may have felt very annoyed by it! Yet, as it turns out, these platitudes are actually wise counsel.

In fact, researchers have discovered that the physical act of smiling has a powerful positive impact on your mood and your health, and the benefits can even extend to people around you. The truly amazing thing is you don't necessarily have to feel like smiling to reap the rewards!

Smiling sends messages to your brain that you’re happy, which begins to alter your brain chemistry to match that of a positive mood. Pain-relieving, mood-elevating endorphins and serotonin begin flowing into your body and before you know it, you're feeling great.

CAN WE FAKE IT TILL WE MAKE IT?

So does this mean we can actually 'fake it till we make it' when it comes to smiling? Well, yes and no.

For purposes of benefiting your well-being, the fake smiles we all feel obliged to put on out of politeness or obligation don't count. In fact, there is research suggesting that this forced gesture can actually depress us, especially if it's not balanced out by genuine smiles or if we are using it too often to mask deeper unhappiness. So in that regard, the answer is no.

To clarify, a fake smile only involves moving the lips, it does not engage the muscles around the eyes nor does it produce that sparkle in the eyes that we all recognize as representing joy.

Yet on the other hand, it is possible to improve our physical and emotional health by consciously cultivating genuine smiles. Research shows that, even though these smiles aren't spontaneously produced, they have all the benefits of those that are.

So how do you generate a genuine smile of your own accord? I'll get to that in a minute, but first let's look at the benefits of smiling

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SMILING~
•increases the production of endorphins and serotonin, your body's natural pain killers and mood boosters;
•relieves stress;
•strengthens your immune system and increases the number and activity of Leukocytes (white blood cells), Phagocytes, Lymphocytes, and Macrophages in your bloodstream which attack harmful bacteria, viruses, and toxins;
•lowers your blood pressure and heart rate;
•enhances respiratory function;
•makes you look younger as it tones up to 26 facial muscles;
•makes you more attractive --studies show that smiling people are viewed as being more confident and successful;
•makes you more approachable - people are more likely to talk to strangers if they are smiling;
•may get you a pay raise --bosses are more likely to promote people who smile a lot;

CULTIVATING CONSCIOUS SMILES

So the question then is, how can you induce yourself to smile a genuine smile so you can gain all these great benefits?

TAKE THE SMILE CHALLENGE

Smile Reminders:
Choose something that you hear, see, or do often during the day to be your “smile reminder.” For example, the sound of a phone ringing could be your cue to smile. Or the reminder can be a visual one, such as each time you see someone drinking bottled water. Or you can set up a smile schedule, where you remember to smile every hour on the hour.

Now for the how to part; To cultivate a genuine smile sans exterior stimuli, take a moment to think of someone or something you really love. It can be a cherished memory, a person, a favorite place, a comedian that makes you laugh, your dog or cat, or whatever works for you. You can use a photo or video if that helps.

Take a deep breath or two as you do this, letting go of any tension and allowing the smile to arise naturally, don't force it.

In time, smiling more frequently will become a healthy habit. People around you will also start smiling more. Smiling is contagious! In fact, as strange as it sounds, a smile can even be 'heard' over the phone! Try smiling as you talk on the phone and see how it creates a more positive conversation.

So take up the smile challenge. Remember to set up your smile reminders and try it for at least a week or two. Consider keeping notes as to how you feel and what you notice about yourself as well as your interactions with others.

Image Source http://www.funnypuppysite.com/pictures/Such_A_Big_Smile.

We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.........Mother Theresa

REFERENCES

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/smile_its_good_for_your_heart
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/health/22really.html
Little, A. C., B. C. Jones, and L. M. Debruine. "Facial Attractiveness: Evolutionary Based Research." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 366.1571 (2011): 1638-659.
Hatfield, E, John T. Cacioppo, and Richard L. Rapson. "Susceptibility to Emotional Contagion." Emotional Contagion (1993): 147-82.
Abel, EL, and ML Kruger. "Smile Intensity in Photographs Predicts Longevity." Center for Human Growth and Development. Wayne State University, April 2010.

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