Upside-down frowns bear the gifts of health and beauty, and of fame and success. This reverse rainbow underneath the nose has pots of gold unearthed on both ends: It holds the treasure to the ‘outshine factor’, the secret of standing out among the crowd.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is reason enough to grin.
Now, Mark Stibich (2010), presents his top 10 reasons to beam and smile.
Depressions — whatever they may be: rainy days and Mondays, heartbreaks and broken homes, family fights, failed exams, or loads of work and homework — make most of us grouchy, irritated, blue, and even down in the dumps.
But putting on a smile, as Stibich suggests, gives a good chance that our moods will change for the better. Smiling changes our moods. It can trick the body into helping us cope with depression.
Also, depression was born of stress. And, pressure accumulated for a long period could show in our faces. The wrinkles, the fine lines, the eye bags and dark circles present in our countenances are physical manifestations of fatigue, of over-thinking, of overwork. It all boils down to stress.
Yet, smiling could undo all of these. Stress shrivels with every grin we make. Smiling relieves us from feeling tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. Smiling relieves stress.
Furthermore, immune functions improve through smiling. Smiles boost our immune systems, as Stibich (2010) puts it, possibly because “we are more relaxed.”
Also, smiling presses and lowers another health concern: High blood pressure. Smiling reduces a measurable amount of blood pressure. A smile calms the jittered nerves, the strained muscles and tissues, and the anxious organs, organelles, and every other cell in the body — heart and all blood vessels included.
In addition, smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Santrock (2005) states that “endorphins shield the body from pain and elevate feelings of pleasure.” Also, healthy levels of serotonin, also known as the happiness neurotransmitter, improve our well-being.
Moreover, smiling radiates optimism. A smile paints the thought “Life is good!” Smiling aids in positive thinking. And positive thoughts and actions expand further: Smiling makes people seem successful. People appear confident, likely approachable, and likely to be promoted by simply beaming. People lighten loads and achieve that coveted ‘Yes!’ starting with smiling.
Likewise, smiling lifts the face and makes us look younger. People achieve that hidden fountain of youth, not inch by inch, but grin by grin. People’s faces stay calmed and relaxed rather than creased and wrinkled. Smiling is a natural face lift.
As a result, smiling makes us attractive. Smiling draws in people. When we smile, people get drawn to us. An attraction factor exists that in return, we want to meet a happy person and inquire the reason/s for such a smile.
Lastly, a smile could lighten up a room of people. Smiling is therefore contagious. A single grin could pass on from one lip to another, change the moods of others, and make things brighter and happier. Smiling excites people.
Bruno Mars’ Just the Way You Are sums up most of these reasons about smiling:
“When I see your face, there’s not a thing that I would change.
Because you’re amazing, just the way you are.
And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while
Because you’re amazing, just the way you are.”
And a smile is amazing, even from afar. J
Works Cited
Mark Stibich, P. D. (2010, February 04). Top 10 Reasons to Smile. Retrieved from About.com: http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongbeauty/tp/smiling.htm
Santrock, J. W. (2005). Psychology, updated seventh edition. McGraw-Hill Education (Asia).
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