Smile — The key to success
What if I told you a smile can take you a long way, both literally and metaphorically? What if a smile can get you that career boost you were looking for?
Yes, you heard it right! Smile can be the key to a successful work life.
But, before you think I’m pulling a prank on you by saying this, pause for a second and hear me out.
When was the last time you smiled at your colleague in the office? or, at your boss? or, at a stranger? When was the last time you let go, took a deep breath, with your eyes closed, and just smiled?
A smile, the easiest and the most challenging thing one can do, can help you build a successful life. I knew you would not believe me so I have the strongest argument with me — Science (can’t deny that).
What is the science behind a smile?
We all know that smiling makes us happy. But did you know it brings along a ton of health benefits too?
The benefits of your smile are not just limited to yourself. Your smile can positively affect the health of people around you. Think about how we feel when we see someone smiling at us. It is because the reward center of our brain gets activated which in turn makes us feel better.
Several studies have shown that smiling can have not just psychological but physiological benefits too. It has been proven that a person who smiles or laughs often tends to be more energetic, happy, and healthy. This really should be a no-brainer 😜
A smile initiates chemical reactions in the brain like, dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, aka happy hormones that helps in reduceing stress.
The health benefits of endorphin are not a secret to any. It acts as a natural pain killer. So, when you smile, your body feels relaxed from head to toe. Endorphins also increase blood flow and lower blood pressure. Several studies claim that a smile is associated with an increased level of HDL cholesterol which is good cholesterol and at the same time lowers the stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine.
A genuine SMILE takes care of our overall health as it brings about so many positive emotions.
The ultimate stress reliever
We are living in a world that is a constant whirlpool of changes and which in turn increases the level of competition, creating the pressure of giving our best at work.
There are a lot of things that give us stress at the workplace like, the never-ending deadlines, multitasking, interpersonal conflicts in the firm, managing clients, and the list goes on. Stress has eventually become an inevitable part of corporate life.
Among several techniques to manage that stress, the easiest is to SMILE. A smile makes us all happy which induces positivity, which helps in focusing on work and taking the right decisions.
Usually, we smile when we are happy. Why don’t we reverse this process? Smile so that you can be happy. This might sound a bit off, but we can really use this to build our relationships at the workplace. We all know the saying “fake it till you make it.” Force a smile even when you are not happy. This forced smile will trick your brain and you will soon realize that you are happy in reality.
Most people respond to a smile with a smile. Smile is contagious. That’s one thing you are allowed to spread wherever you go, as much as you can. It takes very little effort to make a smile. Nobody would want to work in an office where people make grumpy faces all the time.
The unbeatable power of SMILE
Who is a good leader? Someone who works for the betterment of his team. How can someone be a good leader if they are not approachable?
A leader is not someone who gets grouchy or greets their team with a scowl on their face. A smile can help you build good relationships with your teammates. Your smiling face can make your teammates feel comfortable around you. It could sow the seeds of positivity in others and boost the energy of the team. Also, a genuine smile can make you a trustworthy person, and if it helps in improving your credibility, why not give it a try.
Now you know the secret to becoming an exceptional leader.
Andrew Oswald, a professor of economics at Warwick Business School, conducted research to find out the links between workers’ happiness and their productivity. The study found out that “human happiness has large and positive causal effects on productivity. Positive emotions appear to invigorate human beings, while negative emotions have the opposite effect.”
Why did we grow out of the habit of smiling? How many opportunities have we missed to be confident, happy, trustworthy? Learn the superpower of smiling from children. Studies have shown that children smile or laugh more than 400 times per day, whereas adults smile an average of 20 times per day.
We all were born smiling. Using a 3D ultrasound technology, we can now see that a developing baby appears to smile even in the womb.
Even if you think you have lost the ability to make a heartwarming smile, you can always practice. On a stressful day, when you feel down, think about the happiest memory of your life. Think about the people who make you happy. Build peace within yourselves and practice the art of smiling.
And remember this quote that touched my heart —
“Smile, it is the key that fits the lock of everybody’s heart.”
If you have reached this far, thank you for reading this blog, I hope it was of insight to you 😃 Give us a Follow for more such content on technology, productivity, work habits, and more!
