We know that smiling is an involuntary response to things that bring us laughter or joy. But smiling is a voluntary response as a conscious and powerful choice. There are many health benefits of smiling such as reduced blood pressure, increased endurance, reduced pain, reduced stress, strengthened immune system etc. Smiling offers mood boost but helps our bodies release cortisol and endorphins.
Studies show that people who smile appear more likeable, courteous and competent. Smilers tend to be more productive at work and make more money.
From Sinatra to Katy Perry, celebrities have long sung about the power of a smile — how it picks you up, changes your outlook, and generally makes you feel better. But is it all smoke and mirrors, or is there a scientific backing to the claim?
So let’s see how our smile brings the whole world to smile with us.
Based on the groundbreaking research from the University of South Australia, it confirms that smiling trick our mind into positive by moving the facial muscles. This is published in Experimental Psychology evaluating the effect of a secret smile based on face and body expressions and using the experiment of pen-in-teeth mechanism and point-light motion images. The findings could not be more timely due to COVID-19.
In pen-in-teeth mechanism a smile was induced by participants holding a pen between their teeth, forcing their facial muscles to replicate the movement of a smile.
Dr Marmolejo-Ramos, lead researcher and human and artificial cognition expert said that when our muscles at we’re happy, we’re more likely to see the world around us in a positive way.
He mentioned that in the research we found that when you forcefully practise smiling, it stimulates the amygdala — the emotional centre of the brain — which releases neurotransmitters to encourage an emotionally positive state.
We can improve mental health by tricking our brain into perceiving stimuli as ‘happy’. This is really useful during this pandemic time where some people are facing this issue. Dr Marmolejo-Ramos says there is a strong link between action and perception.
Reference: University of South Australia
Read an interesting article – TRICKING THE BRAIN TO STAY HAPPY
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