Have you ever walked into a room and felt drawn to a person? Did you feel as though that person was more sincere than other people in the room?
Was that person smiling?
The truth is that smiles make people appear more trustworthy and friendly than those who frown. That’s why a person smiling draws our attention without even trying.
We all smile at some point throughout the day, but what else does this universal expression do for us?
Keep reading to learn even more facts about smiling!
1. It Makes You Feel Good
Try smiling right now. Hold the expression for a few seconds and then let it go. Repeat the action one more time.
Do you feel a difference?
Even when we’re at our lowest, the muscles used while smiling send signals through our system. It creates a rush of endorphins which boost our mood, making us feel lighter and happier.
Endorphins alleviate stress and boost our confidence. They even help with pain management.
We trick our brain into thinking it’s happy which turns around and makes us happy.
2. It Makes Others Feel Good
We’ve all heard the saying that smiles are contagious and we hear that saying because it’s true!
The simple act of smiling at another person sends a signal to their brains to smile in return. It often depends on the circumstances, of course, but in a general sense, smiles beget more smiles.
And as you’ve learned in the section above, smiles make us feel good. So by helping other people smile in the first place, you’re helping boost their mood with very little effort.
3. Smiles Could Help You Get That Promotion
If you find yourself lined up for a promotion, try smiling more often. This makes other people perceive you as being more confident and competent in your job. As we said earlier, it also makes you appear more trustworthy.
These are all things that make you far more attractive as an employee. Even if you’re not up for a promotion, try smiling more. It might bump you ahead on your career path.
Showing off all of these attributes by smiling could be enough to convince your boss that you’re the one for the job!
4. Become Healthier By Smiling More
Smiling does more for us than boost our mood. It also helps to extend our lifespan.
This is because it strengthens our immune system and helps lower stress. Symptoms caused by too much stress create even more problems in our lives, such as heart troubles or depression.
By smiling more, you help alleviate these problems. People in countries that smile more often than other countries tend to live longer lives as a result.
5. There Are Over 10 Different Kinds of Smiles
Did you know there are different styles of smiles? There are over 10 smiles that we perform, all depending on the situation and the emotion we want to convey.
For example, we smile in a different way when we’re in an awkward situation and are trying to be polite. When we’re with our children and want to reward them for good behavior, our smile changes yet again.
There’s no need to study these different smiles as we all do them by instinct!
6. Smiling Is a Natural Skill
The nice thing about smiling—besides all of the benefits—is the fact that everyone can do it. There’s no need to study how to smile. No class necessary to understand how it all works.
As a newborn baby, we have the skill to smile without needing to learn anything else. Babies smile all the time even without knowing much about the world or why they do the things they do.
Take advantage of such natural skill. If you’re afraid to smile due to your teeth, make sure to compare the different dental veneers and fix up those pearly whites. No one should go their whole life afraid to smile!
7. Our Voices Change When We Smile
Have you ever been on the phone with someone and you could recognize that they’re happy about something? This is because even without face-to-face interaction, we’re able to tell when someone is smiling.
Their voice changes in a way that our instincts recognize without even thinking about it. So the next time you’re on the phone, try to guess the other person’s expression to help you in the conversation.
8. Everyone Recognizes the Meaning of a Smile
No language or cultural barriers hold us back when we smile at one another. Wherever you go in the world, everyone understands what we mean when we smile.
Even if you find yourself in a country where you don’t know anything and have no real way of communicating with someone, at least you have a smile. It’ll help alleviate a stressful situation and calm you down so that you’re able to get the assistance you need. It’ll put the other person at ease, too!
9. Smiles Strengthen Relationships
No matter the kind of relationship, smiles play a strong role within all of them. When we smile, we give off a sense of happiness and confidence which aids us in creating stronger relationships. It shows the person we’re with that we appreciate being with them.
Photographs are a good example of this. They show how strong a relationship is by the width of the smiles. A wider and more open smile often means the couple stays together for far longer than a couple with smaller smiles.
Let These Facts About Smiling Bring More Joy to Your Life
It’s hard to keep frowning after you’ve learned these facts about smiling. There are many benefits to this beautiful expression that we all should remember.
By making an effort to smile more in your regular day-to-day interactions, you’re bound to bring joy in your life. The best part is that you’ll bring more joy to other people’s lives as well.
So don’t hold back when it comes to that grin!
Don’t forget to check out the rest of our blog for more health and lifestyle content!
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