The problem with undiagnosed medical conditions
The first and perhaps most important health benefit of smiling is that it can increase the human lifespan. One study from 2010 found that there is a link between smiling and living longer.
There is a wealth of evidence to suggest that happy people live longer. In fact, there is even research that indicates happiness could increase lifespan by years.
However, when it comes to stress, smiling doesn’t just change our appearance. In fact, it can actually help to decrease stress levels in the body.
This is true, even if you don’t feel like smiling, or if a fake smile is all you can manage. So next time you’re feeling stressed, put an intentional smile on your face and feel the relief.
Smiling can also help lift your mood in general because when we smile, we activate pathways in our brains that influence our emotional state.
In effect, we can ‘trick’ our own minds into being happy. Couple this with the dopamine and serotonin that are released when we smile, and you have a natural anti-depressant.
So next time you’re feeling down in the dumps, try forcing your mouth into a smile. You'll be surprised how much better it will make you feel.
In addition to making yourself feel better, smiling can also improve the mood of those around you. It's true what they say, smiling really can be contagious.
It's possible to catch a smile from somebody else, because our brains are wired subconsciously to notice, interpret, and even mimic other people’s facial expressions.
When you smile, therefore, it's likely someone else will do the same. Conversely, if you spot someone else smiling, you might give yourself a subconscious grin.
Research also shows that smiling can help to boost the immune system. It is thought that immune function improves when we smile, because we are more relaxed.
If you are looking to strengthen your immune system in time for the cold and flu season, plastering a grin on your face might just help.
Furthermore, managing to stay healthy and ward off any nasty illnesses has the added benefit of making us feel less stressed.
Smiling may even have a positive impact on blood pressure. We already know that laughter can cause a decrease in blood pressure (after causing an initial increase in heart and breathing rates).
While more research is needed into the impact of smiling on blood pressure, we do know that it causes an initial increase in heart rate in the same way as smiling.
If you have a blood pressure monitor at home and you’re interested, you could test this for yourself. Take an initial reading, then smile for a minute before taking a second while still smiling. How do the two compare?
Next up is pain relief. Believe it or not, smiling is a naturally occurring painkiller, thanks to the chemicals that our brains release when we smile.
These chemicals serve to make us feel good, relax our bodies, and reduce physical pain. It's a great technique for people who don’t like reaching for pills.
What is less obvious, however, is that smiling can make us look younger. This is because the muscles we use to smile also work to lift the face.
It is not particularly surprising that smiling makes people more attractive. We all feel more naturally inclined to speak to someone who is smiling rather than frowning.
So next time you’re feeling like it might be time to get that face lift, try smiling more during the day instead. It could make you look and feel a whole lot younger.
Indeed, research shows that people who smile more appear more confident, are more likely to be approached, and are even more likely to be promoted.
If you try putting on a smile during business meetings and appointments, you may well find that people react to you differently.
It is clear, therefore, that there are various important benefits to smiling, both when it comes to our health, our professional lives, and our social lives.
Remember, we do not always have to feel happy to smile. Rather, we can smile despite experiencing negative emotions and it will still be beneficial.
Next time you’re feeling down, stressed, or overwhelmed, try smiling to yourself, even if it doesn’t come naturally. You’ll be surprised how much better you feel.
Sources: (Very Well Mind) (Love That Smile)
See also: How to hack your happy chemicals
A final benefit of smiling, although not health-related, is that it has been linked with being more successful.
When we smile, whether it’s genuine or not, our brains release chemicals such as endorphins, serotonin, and other natural painkillers.
It is no great secret that smiling is great. We love to be greeted by someone with a big smile, and we like to make others feel at ease by doing the same. Aside from the social benefits, however, research suggests that smiling actually has a number of important health benefits.
Curious? Check out this gallery to learn more.
As it stands, scientists do not fully understand why being happier tends to mean living longer; more research is needed to better grasp the connection.
The surprising health benefits of smiling
It's even better for us than we think!
HEALTH Psychology
It is no great secret that smiling is great. We love to be greeted by someone with a big smile, and we like to make others feel at ease by doing the same. Aside from the social benefits, however, research suggests that smiling actually has a number of important health benefits.
Curious? Check out this gallery to learn more.