Smiling your way to a better day.
How many smiles do you have?
Scientists say over 19,
And of those 19,
Only six are connected to a positive emotion.
Smiling is an action that we were all born able to do.
For some of us,
This action is easeful.
Others share it on a rare yet impactful moment.
Either way,
We all have them.
And smiling is an intricate part of not only our happiness,
But our health.
It is said that babies smile in the womb.
Children smile up to 400 times a day.
And as we get older,
That reduces to 20 to 40 times a day.
And that's for happy-go-lucky adults.
The average adult is less than 20 times a day.
In different cultures,
Smiles have many different meanings,
Such as smiling too much means you may be less intelligent.
Or in countries with more corruption,
A smile can mean you are less trustworthy.
All very interesting,
But for the sake of this little article,
We're going to keep it to the healthier benefits of smiling.
Yet always remember,
There are two sides to every smile.
I learned a lot about the importance of smiling wearing a mask through COVID.
In this time,
I began to recognize how powerful a smile could be.
We were unable to see the smile in others due to the mask wearing,
Yet it was still very powerful to see smiling in the eyes.
I'm sure in those challenging times,
Some smiles were lost,
Given up on,
Or being conserved for the freedom of a full facial expression and acknowledgement.
As we return to the world where the whole face is seen,
It is a perfect time to resurrect your grin for the win.
Let's focus on the positive.
As I mentioned before,
We were all born with the capability,
Yet it is our personalities,
Outlook of life,
Or the conditions of our upbringing that dictate how we use this tool of many traits.
Below are only a few happy,
Healthy,
Healing ways to get your smirk to work for you.
But first,
A little science.
When you smile,
Your brain releases tiny neuropeptides that help reduce stress.
Other neurotransmitters in place,
Such as serotonin,
Dopamine,
Which is a natural antidepressant,
And endorphins,
Our natural pain relievers,
Cover a gamut of positive plays in the brain and body.
The release of these helps reduce pain and allows you to feel more positive and happier.
Even in times when you are down and blue,
Studies show smiling can help shift your mood to a more positive place and reduce stress and pain.
Believe it or not,
A good laugh relieves some body aches.
And like mentioned above,
Smiling releases endorphins,
The body's natural feel-good chemical.
Who needs low blood pressure?
Well,
I do.
When we are happy or excited,
This can cause increased heart rate and oxygen consumption,
Followed by a period of muscle relaxation,
Decreased heart rate,
And then lower blood pressure.
Even the small amount of this process helps reduce someone's risk of developing heart disease.
What about a strong immune system?
Smiling helps boost your immune system,
And in this day and age,
We can all use that.
Your smile can also improve your resistance to illness and make healing time speed up.
Once again,
The chemical reaction and release of dopamine increases the strength of your immune system.
Let's be honest.
Most of us want to be liked.
I'm sure we can all agree that in life,
You've had that moment where you met someone and you are simply mesmerized by their smile.
Just like a yawn,
A smile not only has a reaction in our brain,
But our smile can create a reaction in someone else's brain.
It is through our eyes we take in a configuration of muscles on another's face,
Cleverly discerning it as attractive or other emotions depending on the smile we are seeing at the time.
Just like a yawn,
Most smiles seen in a positive light are contagious.
So not only do you walk around with the power to heal yourself,
But you can share it with those who may need it more than you.
Could smiling be the fountain of youth we've all been looking for?
Not exactly,
But studies show that even though smiling cannot decrease your actual age,
It may give you the appearance of looking younger.
It may work,
It may not,
But it won't hurt to try.
If smiling is not your thing,
I respect that and acknowledge it is not easy for everyone.
However,
Studies show that even if you fake your smile,
All of the above will take place.
So this is definitely one of those actions that truly can be coined,
Fake it till you make it.
Now for those of us that don't have a natural connection to our smile,
Below are some fun exercises and meditations you can play with to get your zygomaticus major,
One of the main muscles in the face used to smile,
To work for you.
The first one I call the magic mirror.
Simply play with all your different forms of smiling.
Take a moment in the morning when you wake up,
This can even be done while you're doing your morning hygiene routine or separate if you have the time to spend one to three minutes smiling at yourself.
You can hold one smile or play through multiple variations.
The idea is to get the muscles working and the neuro peptides releasing,
And it works as a double dose as you are feeling and seeing.
Try to look beyond the appearance.
Don't be judgmental.
You're beautiful and all your variations are smiling are too.
Silliness is requested,
But not required.
Pass it on.
This is one of my favorite smile activities.
There are plenty of times we can share the gift of our smile,
And sometimes you may use it to your advantage.
Take a moment when you're walking down the street,
Waiting in line at the store or light,
Or you have time to just smile at a stranger.
Just a subtle smile is needed,
And 95% of the time you will get a smile back.
See if you can get one smile from a stranger once a day for a week,
Or even better,
Five stranger smiles in one day.
Smile your way through the day.
Whether real or not,
Smiles are able to affect us in a positive way.
Take times for the day,
Maybe start morning,
Lunch,
And evening for a smile go-getters.
Try once every hour where you put a smile on your face for one minute.
You can fake it or try thinking,
Reading,
Or watching something that induces an authentic smile.
Make sure to journal at the end of the day about the experience.
Partner smiling.
Much like the mirror ritual,
Except this one you do with a friend,
Lover,
Family member,
Maybe even your favorite pet.
Set a timer for one,
Two,
Or three,
Or go smile crazy with five minutes.
Pretty simply,
Just look at each other and smile.
This practice can induce some laughter,
If so,
Let it flow.
After the experience,
Just notice your energy and mood.
For even more of a gritty adventure,
Try with three or four friends at a time,
Certain to lead to some laughter meditation,
Which will be covered down the road.
And then a simple smile meditation.
Find a quiet space,
Just let the corners of your mouth turn up.
Think about someone,
Something,
Or some place that you love and just allow the glow to arise from within.
Now as much as I'd like to see a smile,
Cure what ails you,
Boost your mood,
Release your stress,
Depending on what's going on in your life,
It may not be the right time.
I will say it never hurts to smile,
But if you are suffering from grief or going through something dark,
Those feelings should never be put aside.
We have to learn to feel the feels,
Allow time and space to process,
Then maybe all you need is the perfect little inner smile to find your way to a better day.
And never be afraid to ask for help.
Thank you for listening,
I hope you find the smile for your better day.
