Smile!

There’s nothing more heartwarming than walking into a room and having somebody greet you with a smile. Smiles not only lighten the day of the person who is receiving them but also lighten the person who is giving them. In fact, studies have shown that smiles literally change the physiology of your brain and the more you smile, the more your brain is nourished by powerful hormones that change how you think and feel.

So, what happens inside of you when you smile? When our brains feel happy, the joy juice called endorphins is produced and signals are transmitted to your facial muscles to trigger a smile. Then, when our muscles lift in a smile, they send a signal back to the reward system in your brain, further increasing your level of endorphins. In short, when your brain feels happy, you smile and when you smile, your brain feels happier!

We meet so many challenges during our day, including people who, rather than greeting us with a smile, show us a frown or a scowl. Our brains are hardwired to look for anything that may represent a threat and when we react to this possible threat, our hypothalamus goes on alert, turning on the fight or flight mode. The body then activates the stress hormone cortisol, which, if we are experiencing a lot of stress, can promote anxiety, depression, heart disease, trouble with digestion and sleeping, along with weight gain.

We are so trained to react to possible threats that we bathe ourselves with stress hormones rather than the happy juice of endorphins. The good news is that smiling breaks that hard-wired negativity and rewires your brain for calm and ease.

Whether you’re having a challenging day, or you are meeting a challenging person, a smile can make a difference. Smiles literally change your physiology and can also convey warmth, self-assurance, and safety to other people, leaving you feeling good long after you’ve smiled.

So, smiling has a huge effect on your overall well-being including your mental and physical health, your relationships, and even your family and work environments.

If you want to calm down an upset person, a little smile may make all the difference in the world.

If you need to cheer yourself up, look into the mirror and smile.

If you want to have a really delightful day, tuck a smile into your heart and take it with you wherever you go.