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Your smile can light up a room. When you laugh, you can send out a positive vibe to others that can almost feel contagious. And, oh my gosh, the joy you can spread with a heartfelt chuckle! Yet, interestingly, while smiles, laughs and chuckles can lighten up the world for those around you, the most important benefits are those that come to you. Your mentality, your outlook, your positive attitude. And interestingly, so too, your physiology. Laughter increases the flow of oxygen to your muscles, heart, and lungs and releases ‘good chemicals’ into your bloodstream, such as dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins.
So, seems like a pretty important area for us to focus on. Let’s start with smiling. Smiling is something that most of us do every day, often without even realizing it. And though some might tell you this behavior is most often a sign of happiness, there’s more to smiling than you might think. The simple act of a smile can not only have a positive impact on someone else, but for our own personal well being too!
It is easy to take smiles for granted. Sometimes we smile out of habit without any real feeling behind it. We have all seen fake smiles -- the mouth may be shaped like a smile, but the eyes tell the truth -- it is not a real smile if there is no light in the eyes. When I do encounter that light in the eyes along with the smiling mouth, it lights up my day.
When you slow down, you may find yourself smiling more often, sometimes for no reason other than simply being grateful for the things you have in life. The truth is, we feel better when we smile, even if we’re unhappy. A friend of mine recently shared a story about a new practice he’s been trying when he becomes upset or annoyed by something. Instead of feeding into the moment, he literally ‘takes 5,’ to take a few deep breaths and work towards putting a small smile on his face. He said after the 5 minutes, his whole outlook changes, and he’s become more productive in his personal and professional life because of it.
Perhaps it sounds a little far-fetched, but there’s science to support it. Smiling increases mood-enhancing hormones while decreasing stress-enhancing hormones, including cortisol, and adrenaline. It also reduces overall blood pressure. And because you typically smile when you’re happy, the muscles used trigger your brain to produce more endorphins—the chemical that relieves pain and stress.
So, I encourage you to take notice of your smiles and the smiles around you. It may feel forced at first, but you will smile and maybe even laugh when you try it. Smile at the first person you see as you move about your day. Continue to greet each person with a smile from your eyes and heart as well as your face. The more smiles you see, the more you will find yourself smiling. Even a small smile can bring joy to your day and someone else’s.
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