Countless studies are devoted to researching the essential human gesture – smiling. Scientists are interested in every aspect of smiling from what makes a smile beautiful to what its effects are on self and others, to how it influences performance and productivity.
Look past its humble origins – a simple biological response – to the consequences it triggers and it becomes clear why so many people are taking an interest nowadays in their smiles. It stands to reason that loving your appearance makes it all the more easier to show off a warm and engaging smile.
It is no wonder then that in evaluating their smiles, thousands of people dissatisfied with them turn to aesthetic enhancing treatments like Invisalign St John’s Wood to improve their look. This forward-thinking, teeth-straightening device has improved the health and function of 11 million patients’ smiles across geographical borders, helping them to realise their smile aspirations.
Sought-after benefits of smiling
Health experts tell us we need to smile more because doing so is good for us. Every time that we engage in smiling, we set off a powerful chemical reaction, with benefits to not only the physical body, but also to our mental and emotional health.
Our physical body is encouraged to relax more when we smile. This relaxation is influenced by the happy-feeling neurotransmitters released in the brain. This is why smiling and laughing are considered effective stress-relieving techniques.
Additional health-promoting benefits of smiling and laughing include strengthened immune response and the increased likelihood of those who readily smile being more proactive about preventive health measures, including being responsible about their dental health obligations.
The positive rewards of smiling on emotional wellbeing are well-documented. These rewards benefit both the wearer of the smile and the recipient. People who smile more, even in times of stress or loss, show the capacity to cope with negative emotions in a healthier manner.
Smiling is well known for activating a chain reaction in others. By smiling we encourage others to smile and reap the rewards thereof – feeling positive and happy as well.
The happiness effect of smiling leads us to feel greater life satisfaction. An uplifted mood is mandatory for creating a positive philosophy in life. Everyday happiness then opens up realms of possibility and opportunity for us to take advantage of.
Smiling makes us more personable; we benefit from social and professional networks. Human beings thrive on social contact, which is why being isolated or lonely has an adverse effect on a person’s mental health.
It is easy to see how smiling can improve one’s personal life, but research also shows that smiling has positive spin offs for productivity and performance too. The science is simple. When we smile and feel good, we perform better as we are more motivated to do so. A technique recently being employed by Olympic athletes is to lower the perceived effort of their endurance training sessions. One way to achieve this is to use psychological factors to one’s advantage. Seeing that smiling is already known for lowering stress and boosting coping mechanisms, smiling also allows for the economic use of energy thereby improving endurance and performance.
