Great reasons why you should smile more
archelys3@gmail.com May 30, 2023 4 min read
Surprising reasons why you should choose smile more
Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day. — H. Jackson Brown, Jr(1).
When Thich Nhat Hanh said, “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy,” he knew what he was talking about. Scientists and spiritual teachers agree that a simple smile can transform you and the world around you. A 2009 British study showed that people whose ability to frown is compromised by Botox tended to be happier, on average, than people who could still frown. Smiles are contagious, they make us more attractive, they lift our mood and those that see us, and it can even lengthen our lives.
My smile is one of my biggest assets. It has opened doors for me both literally and metaphorically speaking. I have had so many green teas comped from servers as a reward for always making them smile — and in turn they have made others smile. I have met so many people simply by showing them my pearly whites — and my spirits are constantly lifted by reciprocal smiles each and every day. But free cups of jasmine tea and new friends aren’t the only reasons to smile. Here are a few more.
- Smiling is a stress reliever: When you’re focused on stressful negative thoughts, chemicals that compromise your immunity are released. On the flip side, positive thoughts that make you smile release neuropeptides that fight off stress and sometimes even physical illness.
