We all know Grumpy. You know that little dwarf in Snow White who NEVER SMILED. Well, if Grumpy knew the power that laughter and smiling actually possess, he may have sung a different tune. Your smile is not only your calling card and the most important weapon in your social arsenal, but it’s also a HEALTH BENEFIT. Yep!
Many people probably don’t realize the scientific health benefits that a smile carries around with it, and the crazy thing is you can engage it at any time! Here are 7 benefits that’ll have you laughing all the way to the health bank.
7 HEALTH BENEFITS OF SMILING
Lower Blood Pressure
A good laugh and smiling appear to be the key to helping lower blood pressure – that means great news for your heart. According to a 2009 study¹, laughing actually increases your heart rate at first but is followed by a period of muscle relaxation and a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure. Boom!
Boost Mood
Smiling can help improve your mood and could be beneficial for those who suffer from anxiety and depression. In 2010, a study ² found that people in bad moods who smiled helped increase positive thoughts and boost their moods. If you’re having a bad day, give it a try, you just might smile your way right into happiness.
Stress Relief
Whether you’re in a good mood or a bad mood, smiling can help you deal with and manage stressful situations more effectively. A scientific study in 2015 from Psychological Science³ found that smiling during stressful talks can lower your heart rate. So keep that smile going and not only will you experience physical benefits but an improved mental state as well. Right on!
Better Relationships
We’re naturally drawn to people who smile more. That’s just a fact. Being likable actually helps you maintain better relationships in your life, and that’s kind of important to your overall health. In 20104
, a study showed that people with positive emotions have more stable marriages and interpersonal skills than those with negative emotions. So keep up that smile to form those stronger social bonds with everyone you meet!
Strong Immune System
Laughter and smiling can help boost your immune system. Laughter and positive thoughts actually release signaling molecules to your brain that fight off stress and sickness5. Negative thought processes actually decrease your body’s immunity. Yikes! A study done on women who just had babies showed that their immune response increased with laughter. So laughter truly is the best medicine people!
Pain Relief
When you’re hurting and in a lot of pain, the last thing you want to think about is smiling or laughing. Right?! However, there are some interesting links to support that smiling can produce some pain relief effects. Smiling and laughing actually activate your body’s natural painkillers6 and it’s also been found that smiling can increase your pain threshold. So if you’re in some pain or have some chronic issues you’re suffering from, go take in a funny movie or check out a local comedy club. It just might do your body good.
Longer Life
Smiling generally puts you in a better mood by releasing endorphins and helping decrease your blood pressure as discussed. People who smile truly seem to be happier and with all the health benefits that are connected to a toothy grin, it’s not a surprise that smiling can help you live through your golden years7.
So don’t forget to KEEP SMILING! If you need help with creating your perfect smile, give us a call! We’d love to chat about your smile goals.
Sources:
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2762283/
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20432952
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23012270
4 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797610363775
7 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797610363775
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