Smile AM: Have you heard the old cliches "turn that frown upside down" and "grin and bear it?" Well, those cliches actually hold some truth.
Recent studies show how smiling can have an incredible effect on our mood and reduce tension levels in the body. To create the magic, simply move facial muscles to form a smile.
The Science of Smiling: How Your Brain Responds
Smiling is an invaluable act that can enhance your mood, lower stress levels, and strengthen immunity systems - not to mention impact the emotions of those around you! From Frank Sinatra to Katy Perry, celebrities have touted the therapeutic powers of smiling - whether genuine or faked! - as being essential components to their well-being. But is all of this just hype or is there scientific backing behind such claims? Groundbreaking research from the University of South Australia confirms this powerful fact by showing how just moving facial muscles helps create positive emotions by producing positive emotions within ourselves and helps create positive emotions within us all!
Smile AM: The cingulate cortex, responsible for your unconscious automatic responses to certain emotional stimuli, responds as though a smiley face were real - this explains why your unconscious response will automatically match it; and why your brain will automatically smile back when someone offers you one even if it looks fake. Researchers found that forcing smiles actually activates amygdala stimulation which in turn hinders happiness feelings - an important discovery that could provide invaluable help for people suffering from depression and anxiety.
Scientists have also discovered that when you smile, "feel-good" body chemicals (Endorphins) released by your brain are linked with reduced levels of cortisol - helping lower heart rates, loosen jaw muscles, and reduce muscle tension.
But perhaps the most fascinating discovery from recent smile research is that genuine Duchenne-worthy smiles have been revealed to be an indicator of altruism. Researchers conducted an experiment where participants were given money to split among themselves but those who smiled when given money ended up giving more than their share to charity.
As if that weren't enough, psychologists LeeAnne Harker and Dacher Keltner discovered that women who displayed genuine smiles in their college yearbook photos had higher levels of well-being and marital satisfaction at age 52 compared to those who didn't smile as often - in other words, those who smiled more on their photos lived longer lives!
Unlocking the Power Within: The Benefits of Smile AM
Smile AM: Smiling is often thought of as an involuntary reaction to things that make us happy, yet smiling can also be used to express feelings and connect with others. Studies have revealed that smiling releases neuropeptides that help improve neural communication while also producing positive emotional responses in us all. Smiling can also serve as a powerful stress reliever and heart rate decrease; fake smiles even work - your brain simply picks up on their physical characteristics and responds accordingly!
People who smile are perceived to be warm and approachable, regardless of whether their smile is genuine. Researchers have revealed that when we smile, facial muscles contract and tense, creating the sensation of physical happiness and contentment; furthermore, it makes you appear more trustworthy while helping reduce blood pressure levels.
But smiling has many more benefits than simply lifting your mood. In the workplace, smiling can be used as an effective tool for building trust and increasing productivity; research indicates that employees who smile frequently tend to be more productive while experiencing greater job satisfaction.
Smile AM Psychologists hold that genuine smiles provide insights into a person's core personality, and can be used to predict lifelong happiness. Additionally, genuine smiles may increase longevity, reduce social anxiety and depression levels, as well as improving overall health.
At University of California Berkeley, psychologists LeeAnne Harker and Dacher Keltner used facial action coding systems (FACS) to identify various types of smiles found in college yearbook photos, and match those up with subjects' happiness and marital satisfaction at age 52. Their analysis found that women who had genuine Duchenne-worthy smiles in their photographs experienced greater life satisfaction and marital fulfillment than those without such smiles in their photos.
But not everyone agrees with this research. Some claim that subjects had predetermined levels of happiness before entering the study; others maintain that smiling has so many nuances it's impossible to capture with just one measure; furthermore, certain studies have failed to replicate these findings.
Smile AM: A Powerful Social Connector
Smiling is one of the best ways to communicate and build relationships, showing interest and showing you care. Smiling can help strengthen bonds in relationships while creating a more positive social atmosphere.
Smiling can help strengthen your resilience to stress. Smiling can lower heart rates and boost blood flow, making you more resistant to physical pain from chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. Furthermore, smiling can also help alleviate anxiety and depression by activating parts of the brain associated with those emotions as well as decreasing cortisol levels - two benefits you might find particularly helpful!
Scientists have long understood that smiling can have an immediate and positive effect on one's mood, yet are only just beginning to comprehend its deeper effects. Studies are now uncovering more subtle responses by your body and mind in response to smiles than once believed.
One of the earliest and most acclaimed studies of smiling was conducted in 1924 by psychologist Carney Landis. His groundbreaking (and, by modern standards, ethically dubious) experiment involved photographing people engaged in activities as diverse as listening to jazz music, reading the Bible, pornographic novels and decapitating live rats - with Landis later analyzing these photos and noting that almost universal reactions included smiling; those whose faces contained smiles were more likely to experience happiness.
Smiles may not always indicate happiness and it can be difficult to differentiate between an authentic, genuine smile and other expressions that signal other feelings such as fright, flirting, horror or embarrassment. Researchers have revealed that only 20 percent of individuals can voluntarily contract the lateral portion of the orbicularis oculi muscle necessary for true smiles voluntarily.
Research that presumes an either/or relationship between feeling happy and smiling assumes this to be the case, while psychological research shows this to not necessarily be so.
Smile Therapy: Healing Effects on Health
Smiling has more benefits than meets the eye; it has strong healing powers on both body and mind. Studies have demonstrated its power to reduce stress levels and boost your mood, helping you cope more easily with life's challenges. Studies also indicate it may even prolong lifespan. Smiling is a wonderful way of conveying positive feelings to others while showing trust and sincerity; when we smile at someone, our orbit frontal cortex activates, which then releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine into their brain which creates an exchange that makes you feel good and makes both parties involved feel rewarded in equal measures! This positive feedback loop creates positive feedback loops between us both, improving both your health and relationships - ultimately producing optimal performance from life itself!
Smiling releases natural painkillers known as endorphins that can reduce your perceived level of discomfort and raise energy levels as well as decrease blood pressure (and therefore heart disease risk) significantly. Furthermore, smiling can make you more resilient against emotional distress.
Researchers were able to demonstrate that when we are stressed or in pain, the last thing we want to do is smile. But studies were done showing how just physical movement of your face could trigger release of feel-good chemicals even when we aren't feeling particularly joyful - even just half smiling can produce positive responses!
Smiling triggers your body to release immune-enhancing hormones that increase infection-fighting antibodies and T-cell function - helping you fight illness even if you're under stress or during flu season. This can provide valuable assistance against illness.
Smiling and laughter are wonderful exercises for your heart, helping increase blood flow, reduce blood pressure, relax your muscles, reduce stress levels and anxiety which is associated with increased risks such as stroke, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Smiling can quickly and effortlessly improve both mood and health at once!
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