Smiling to Relieve Stress
It can be easy to accept that smiling is the result of being happy. When looked at in this way, it can be downright discouraging, however. That would mean we are always waiting for external events to elicit happiness in both ourselves and in those around us. So in the absence of light-hearted events, that means no smiles. But this is not necessarily the chronological truth. A study done by the University of Kansas has determined that smiling can actually reduce stress and cause us to feel happier.
The experiment found that the people who smiled during the test had lower heart rates after stressful tasks than those who maintained neutral expressions. Lower heart rates are associated with lower stress levels, so it seems that the smiling actually does have a role in stress reduction. We also know that your brain releases neuropeptides that help fight stress. Following this release, serotonin, dopamine and endorphins start flowing through the body aiding in stress relief. It’s still not entirely understood why this connection exists, but some theories posit that smiling also causes a reduction in cortisol, the stress hormone.
Likely, you’ve probably noticed this effect in your daily life. It’s hardly scientific but isn’t it true that it’s hard to maintain a stressed demeanor or a sour mood when there is a big smile on your face. When a pet or child unknowingly elicits a smile amidst a stressful moment, there’s a palpable lightening that happens in the body. In that instance you feel a sort of relief from whatever was weighing on you. This is good news for us. It means that we are not at the mercy of our surroundings when it comes to feeling good. In fact, we have more control over our moods than we think. But don’t take my word for it. Try smiling preemptively for a day or so and take note of how you feel when you approach your day in this way. It might just be that you don’t have to wait for life to make you smile first. You can instead make your world a better place to exist in all on your own.
