Discovering joy is something anyone can work towards; joyfulness goes beyond simply feeling happy - it's an attitude and mindset.
Selecting joy will have a powerful positive impact on your life and those around you will begin to follow in its wake. Here's how you can add more joy into your existence: 1. Accept happiness as your goal.
1. You have the power to choose your reaction
An AM Smile is an expressive facial gesture created by contracting muscles at the corners of your mouth and can convey delight, sociability, happiness or amusement - though like any human expression it can also be altered by outside factors.
If you are feeling uncomfortable in an interaction, smiling may help reduce anger or upset; this is known as "polite smiling." Babies have even shown themselves capable of switching between genuine and polite smiles when desired; babies do this to show when they want to impress or are feeling not-so-thrilled about something.
No doubt about it - smiles can be powerful tools, yet many don't realize they have control over which kind of smile they use. According to research, there are various kinds of smiles available for us to use such as those for reward, affiliation and dominance.
At its core, smiles of reward and affiliation typically feature open mouths while those of dominance usually feature tightened lips with narrowed nostrils, tightened lips, narrowed nostrils and tightening nostrils paired with tightened nostrils; such a smile often serves to convey power in politicians, businesspeople, celebrities on TV shows or movies, politicians for instance, using it to convey confidence and power over others.
A wistful smile is used when experiencing mixed emotions, such as grieving the loss of someone close or cherishing memories shared together with that individual. This smile helps people express both sadness and happiness simultaneously and helps process grief more effectively after dealing with grievance. Studies have also demonstrated its efficacy for supporting healing after grievance.
2. You’re more creative
Smiling can help create a positive outlook on life. A smile shows you are open and willing to face life's challenges, which may spark creativity. Smiling may also increase productivity by elevating mood and broadening attention spans.
Smile and your body releases serotonin, the feel-good hormone which helps make you happier. Serotonin can also increase creativity and problem solving ability which may increase productivity at work.
If you are feeling anxious, smiling can actually lower your heart rate. When we smile, our brain sends signals to our bodies telling them we are safe and in an appropriate environment so our muscles can release any tension that has been building up, thus relieving us of stress.
A smile can also help make you appear more trustworthy and intelligent. According to one study, models who smiled more were perceived to be more trustworthy. But it's essential that your smile appears genuine - an unnatural fake one can easily be identified.
Begin practicing smiling more frequently to form it into a habit. Select an action, like hearing an unexpected word or sound that reminds you to smile, then make an effort to smile at this cue throughout your day; whether that be playing music on your commute, hearing someone laugh out loud, or seeing people smile and laugh together - soon it will become second nature! If this doesn't help, try taking up relaxing hobbies which will help unwind and relax you further.
3. You’re happier with an AM Smile
Smiling can do more than make others happy; it actually can make yourself happier too. Scientists have discovered that when you smile, your brain releases neurotransmitters that influence both mood and happiness levels. Smiling also causes your body to produce endorphins, serotonin and dopamine which create more happy feelings as well as the desire to smile more.
Smiling can also help relieve stress and boost immunity. Studies have revealed that just smiling for several seconds decreases cortisol, helping lower your blood pressure and provide your immune system with a boost. Smiling can especially benefit those dealing with chronic stress, depression or illness as it helps alleviate these symptoms.
Forced smiling can actually help people feel happier, according to a recent study published in Nature Human Behavior. Doing this causes your muscles to move into an expression similar to smiling which fools the brain into thinking you are joyful.
This theory has long been discussed, yet a recent meta-analysis of 138 different studies on facial movements and emotions found that smiling can indeed make us happier. This research builds on previous work which suggests faking it till you make it can work too - with just one smile being enough to improve moods around us! With its numerous advantages, investing in smiles could not be more worthwhile, especially as its implementation takes less than one second! Don't waste this great tool.
4. You’re more motivated
Smiling can be one of the easiest and most effective ways to lift your mood, and its effects are contagious - when you smile, others may reciprocate with smiles of their own, making the entire room feel happier!
Smiling can also increase motivation, which is essential to success across many areas of life. When we smile, our brain releases chemicals which help focus and increase productivity, while smiling can also help relax us more easily; studies have even demonstrated its impact on reducing heart rates during stressful events.
Smiling can also help motivate by making you appear more confident and sociable, according to studies conducted on people who smile frequently - which studies show makes them appear as more competent and likely to receive promotions at work. It can also help people connect and form relationships, essential elements in creating true happiness and success in life.
If you need help beginning to smile more often, try practicing in front of the mirror or looking at photos of happy people. This will allow you to become more comfortable smiling while giving you an idea of when and how best to use your smile in different circumstances.
Smiling can be an effortless, effective, and cost-free way to instantly improve both your mood and that of those around you. Smiling has been proven to lower stress, lower blood pressure, and even extend lifespan! So why not give smiling a try today? For more information about how it can positively impact health and happiness contact Dr. Koval for a consultation session immediately!
5. You’re more connected
Researchers have discovered that smiling is one of the best ways to connect people and foster interpersonal harmony, as noted by Mother Theresa: "Peace begins with a smile". Smiling also makes people seem open and interested in connecting - helping reduce stress and anxiety levels simultaneously.
Not all smiles are created equal. Fake smiles can often be easily identified as insincere and have adverse consequences on those around them, while genuine Duchenne smiles create trustworthiness, genuine friendliness, higher tips, and may even contribute to longer lives.
Studies have established that smiling can make us feel good, yet it isn't always clear which comes first: feeling or smiling? Ekman and Davidson wanted to investigate this phenomenon further by filming people as they watched two positive and one negative film, correlating facial expressions with brain activity; their results demonstrated that only those whose natural ability of contracting the lateral portion of orbicularis oculi (the muscle that contracts when we smile) showed an increased response in areas associated with happiness in their brains.
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