Smiling. It’s such an interesting
facial gesture we make. We all smile at least twenty times a day (according to
scientific study) for whatever reason. For example, if your favorite song comes
on the radio, or if you get some thing in the mail you have been waiting for
FOREVER. Well, today I wanted to get more in-depth about something that seems
so simple. What happens in our brains when we smile? What causes us to smile?
What is the science in smiling?
Although the simplicities
of an average smile may seem so minor to you, it holds much more importance
than we understand. “Smiling stimulates our brain’s reward mechanisms in a way
that even chocolate, a well-regarded pleasure-inducer, cannot match.” But what
are these stimulations that promote joy? After you expirence something that
might promote happiness, “The cranial muscle carries the signal further towards
the smiling muscles (the orbicularis oris) in your face.” Fasinating how that
works, isn’t it? Another interesting concept is that “our brain feels good and
tells us to smile, we smile and tell our brain it feels good.” So the idea that
smiling in moments of doubt, stress, or sadness in general will promote us to
feel happy.
How else can smiling
benefit us? “Smiling reduces stress that your body and mind feel, almost
similar to getting good sleep.” So although smiling doesn’t replace sleep
(sorry teenagers) it still gives a similar outcome. Another fascinating detail
is that “in a famous yearbook study, they tracked the lives of women who has
the best smiles in yearbook photos compared to the rest. Women who smiled the
most lived happier lives, happier, happier marriages and had fewer setbacks.
I personally agree
with the author that people should smile more. I know that having positive
energy is easier then having to go about life with a frown. The best people
have the best smiles. I have a friend named Grace whose smile is so simply
gorgeous because of the positive vibes she gives off. And thanks to my new found
knowledge of smiling you will bound to see me smile more. It will give you such
a release.
