On smiling
I’ve been smiling (and laughing) a lot lately. It’s been through connecting to people, places and activities that bring me joy. It’s been through releasing that which doesn’t through journalling, meditating and walking, e.g. Through it all, I’ve turned more inwards than ever before, noticing how “alive” I feel from allowing myself to be in the present moment—smiling and laughing and experiencing that which is around me.
This quote is like the smile-joy version of the chicken and the egg—which is the cause? Which is the effect?
For me, as I would presume for most of us, I’d say it’s both/either!
Science shows that we can actually trick our brain into believing that we’re happy…which, in turn, can actually make us happy. And…it turns out that smiling is contagious (and universal, too, btw), so our smiling can actually impact others to smile as well via mirror neurons…and vice versa.
Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh once described smiling as “mouth yoga”. If we think of yoga as training our mind, smiling trains our mind to be aware of and determined to live in peace and joy. The act of smiling, therefore, can help us approach each day with kindness, understanding and affection.
“Breathe in awareness, and your smile will return.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
The Benefits of Smiling
Smiling (and often the ensuing laughing) has many great overarching health benefits:
It strengthens our immune system
It stimulates our organs such as our lungs and heart
It provides more oxygenated blood to our muscles, aiding in muscle repair and relaxation
It increases overall circulation
It reduces blood pressure
It boosts our mood through the release of endorphins by our brain, such as dopamine and serotonin
Higher levels of dopamine can increase our feelings of happiness
Higher levels of serotonin can reduce our stress
It increases our ability to connect with other
It changes our perspective and challenges our self-doubt
It increases our self-acceptance, self-compassion and self-love
It re-centers us, calming us in the process
And…it can even prolong our life!
What’s not to smile about that?!?
Did You Know?
Sadly, as we age, we smile less and less. The average child smiles 400 times per day, yet the typical adult smiles only 20 times per day.
What about the average “happy” adult? Not much better—we smile only 40 times per day on average.
Turns out, adults can learn a thing or two from our youth.
How to Practice the Act of Smiling
The good news is that we can practice smiling!
Wake up each morning and smile for 60 seconds to super-charge your mood
Incorporate self-love affirmations into your daily self-care and well-being routine
Set reminders on your phone to smile (as we do to consciously breathe)
Put sticky notes on your bathroom mirror or on your refrigerator; use them as bookmarks
Place a mantra, painting or family heirloom that elicits a smile next to your bed
Practice meditations that focus on happiness and smiling, such as the “Knowing Thyself” meditation below
References:
Mayo Clinic Staff. “Stress Relief from Laugher? It’s No Joke.” MayoClinic.org.
Norwood, Earlexia, M.D. “Surprising Health Benefits of Smiling.” 5 October 2017. HenryFord.com.
Spector, Nicole. “Smiling Can Trick Your Brain Into Happiness—and Boost Your Health.” 28 November 2017. Better by TODAY.
Thich Nhat Hanh. “Metta/Love Meditation.” Happiness. 2009. Pgs 112-116.
Thich Nhat Hanh. “The Dandelion Has My Smile.” Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life. March 1991. Pgs 6-8.
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