Fake It Till You Make It : Power of a Smile

Fake it till you make it.
Smile…click! It’s a great pic! Now the side pose…this goes on and on just for the perfect photo usually for uploading on Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram etc.
We usually smile for various other reasons like when we are in a good mood, with friends, good food, when you get an unexpected surprise and so on. Now, I would like you to ask yourself, “How many times did I smile without even a tiny reason?” You can ponder upon this for a while, Or may be it just happens to those who are fools or who are in love?
According to a research done on physiology of smile it was concluded that, simply smiling in stressful situations can make a person feel a little relaxed and calm. This is because our brain interprets the Smile as a signal for a feeling of happiness and our para sympathetic nervous system works to relax and bring the body and mind back to its normal state.
For instance, looking at the album of pictures of school days, we smile and this movement of certain facial muscles trigger the release of endorphins (our body’s natural painkillers) that signals the brain that we are happy.
William Atkinson, a great thinker, an occultist and a yoga practitioner, in his book, How to Read Human Nature: Inner State and Outer Forms stated that “a physical expression related to a mental state, will, if voluntarily induced, in turn induce the mental state appropriate to it.”
Thus, we can actually fool our brain by just smiling whenever we are in stress, that also includes when we are depressed, shivering with stage fear, very much frustrated, etc. For instance,when you are stuck in traffic and you are going to be late just try smiling for a bit even if it’s forced and looks goofy. You might not feel the difference instantly but you will experience the break in your stress levels gradually.
A smile is a sign of wellbeing. In fact it could be a great start of the day, even before a cup of tea or coffee. Smiling makes a person confident and increases self esteem. This smiling should continue throughout the day. Hence, proving the statement: “All you need to be happy is within you.”