Smiling Can Make You Life Longer

No matter where you are in the world, one of the most recognizable expressions is smiling. When you see someone smile, you can assume that they’re experiencing pleasure, happiness, joy, or amusement. Beyond the emotional communicability, smiling can boost your immune system.

In a 2007 study, researchers from Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that smiling influences various immune system components, strengthening it. Furthermore, smiling is proven to be excellent for your health as well as for maintaining interpersonal relationships.

Dr. Anderson can help give you a smile that you love and will want to show off to your friends. For this reason, we’ve created this page to highlight the advantages that smiling provides.

Smiling & Socializing

Smiling is contagious. We’ve all heard this phrase at one time or another, but researchers from the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences verifies it. You can test this yourself by paying attention next time you smile at someone (or portray any expression). You’ll notice that typically the person interpreting your expression will reciprocate it. So, if you smile at someone, they’ll probably smile back.

Furthermore, smiling tells people that you’re friendly and shares feelings of comfort. These emotions are essential if you want to make a strong first impression. In addition to the feelings that smiling can evoke, it can also make you appear younger and more lively.

Smiling & Your Appearance

It’s not shocking that a healthy smile makes you more attractive. It is surprising however that people naturally draw towards others who often smile. The reason here is that your smile conveys a glimpse of your personality without you having to say or do anything.

While smiling attracts people, it works the other way around as well. If you frown at someone, they may assume that you have a negative personality and drive them away.

Another benefit smiling offers your appearance is that it makes you seem more successful. By smiling more, you’re making yourself approachable—job opportunities can open up, you may get promoted, or foster new relationships.

The next time you’re meeting someone for the first time, try smiling. You’ll be surprised by the reaction you get.

Smiling & Your Happiness

We typically regard smiling as a product of happiness, but it can work the other way around as well. You can boost your mood by smiling—or, even faking a smile. The reason behind this is that when we smile, it activates a neural messaging system in your brain.

Once activated, the neural message sends out endorphins which act like anti-depressants. These endorphins will improve your mood, even if you needed to force a smile in the first place.

Another body process that gets released when you smile are neurotransmitters called serotonin. Serotonin is known for its ability to regulate body functions such as digestion, bone density, blood clotting, sex drive, and mood.

When we combine the benefits from serotonin and endorphins, your body will experience feelings of pain relief, tranquility, and pleasure. In this regard, we can use smiling to avoid depression, stress, and worry.

Smiling & Your Health

It’s common knowledge that smiling and happiness go hand-in-hand, but did you know that smiling can decrease stress levels and increase productivity?

In a 2015 study, leading researchers from Social Behavior and Personality conducted a study to measure the effects of smiling. During this experiment, they separated participants into two groups (smiling and non-smiling) and asked them to complete a list of challenging tasks. They found that the smiling group had lower stress levels and heart rates than the non-smiling participants.

The researchers investigated further by asking certain participants to hold chopsticks horizontally in their mouths to simulate a smile. Even though they were faking a smile, the chopstick group saw the same results as the smiling group. This is essential because it solidifies the idea that you can force a smile and still receive the full benefit.