Awesome Benefits of Smiling

1. Smiling lowers stress, anxiety, and pain

It’s not easy to keep smiling in stressful or painful situations, but it can help you manage the situation by releasing endorphins, body chemicals that trick the body to elevate your mood or reduce pain. Even when unnatural or forced, a smile still sends the brain that “life is good” message. Smiling is a natural drug.

2. You’ll be more attractive and approachable

Smiling not only helps prevent us from looking tired, worn down and overwhelmed, but we are naturally drawn to people who smile, and we look more youthful. Not surprisingly, more severe or negative facial expressions like frowns, scowls, and grimaces actually work in the opposite manner – something those sour-faced catwalk models could learn perhaps...

3. Smiling strengthens your immune system

Smiling strengthens your immune system by making your body produce white blood cells to help fight illnesses. One study found that hospitalised children who were visited by story-tellers and puppeteers, who made them smile and laugh, had higher white blood cell counts than those children who weren’t visited.

4. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure

When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

5. You’ll seem more trustworthy

If you want to improve your credibility, simply smile more. What could be easier than that? Trusting doesn’t come easily to many, but smiling at someone may help. Participants in a University of Pittsburgh study rated people who smiled as more trustworthy than people with non-smiling facial expressions.

6. You’ll be a better leader

If you’re in a position of power, or want to be, smiling may be the key to your success. Studies have shown that people who smile regularly appear more confident, are more likely to be promoted, and are more likely to be approached. Try putting on a smile at meetings and business appointments. You might find that people react to you differently.

So slap a grin on your face and take advantage of the many benefits smiling has to offer. And, if nothing else, it will get people wondering what you have been up to!

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Know something that we don’t?

If you’ve got information that may be topical or of interest to Millwater residents, we’d love to know! Please get in touch with Sarah on 09 426 6155 or email sarah@themillwatermag.co.nz