Smile has been present in human life for 30 million years, according to a study from Kyoto University in Japan. But even if it were among us for one year, its benefits would be considerable. Just by smiling you can make yourself feel better, but also have a positive effect on the people around you.
This is because you send feel-good vibes with your smile that can crack even the grumpiest of people. Understanding what the power of a smile means to us and others may be the key to improving the quality of life and learning how to be happy. So, let’s discover the secrets of smiling and how we can include more of this activity into our daily routine.
A smile can make you more attractive
We are not talking here about simple physical attraction, but the power a smile has to draw people to you. Your smile is one of the first things others notice about you, making you friendlier and warm. It can make you more pleasant to approach and start a conversation with, which is a good characteristic for networking for work and increasing relationship prospects.
Some people decide to have cosmetic surgery or improvements to make their smile more attractive, like getting teeth whitening, veneers, lip fillers, or a Botox. As long as you do it tastefully and don’t harm your health, you can use whatever resources you can to make your smile more beautiful. Of course, the same applies to the way you perceive other people, so let that guide you in social interactions.
Your smile will inspire others in many ways
Once other people notice your gorgeous smile and how it affects them, they will be inspired to follow your example. Promoting better health for everyone is what the smile does best. You can have a positive influence on others to take better care of their dental hygiene, teeth health, and behavior.
All the influx of feel-good chemicals and lowering of the stress hormone cortisol can improve their (and yours) heart health, reduce pain, and decrease inflammation. When you smile at someone, they feel special and noticed, making them feel more aware of their qualities. This is because your smile triggers a reward system in their brain which can help them be more motivated to make positive changes in their lives.
It will inspire you to brush your teeth regularly
Yes, brushing the teeth is still something people tend to skip or not do properly despite the constant warnings from dentists and toothpaste commercials. Because of this, your smile may be hindered with stained and yellow teeth. To avoid this from happening, inspire yourself to turn brushing your teeth into a habit with an eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush or an electric one.
Discoloration of teeth is not aesthetically appealing in most cases, but irregular dental hygiene may lead to tooth decay, abscess, and other diseases. In a way, having pearly white teeth is not vanity talking, but being invested in good oral health.
A nice smile can boost your confidence
We are self-aware of the way we look, talk, and overall behave when dealing with other people and situations. For this reason, having imperfect teeth can prevent you from smiling more, as well as affect your confidence and self-esteem. But you have options to remedy this with Invisalign aligners and other orthodontics that can give you the teeth you won’t feel the need to hide.
With newfound confidence, you can make a lot of improvements in your life, like improve your social life, career, or just feel good about yourself. Furthermore, fixing your crooked teeth, gaps, and crowding can decrease the risks of gum disease, giving you a healthy smile for a long time.
Smiling brings a boost of happiness
While on the outside people admire your bright and beautiful smile, inside your body a lot of wonderful things are happening. First off, smiling stimulates the release of neuropeptides that can help you keep the stress levels low. But what you probably noticed on your own is the boost of joy, happiness, and good mood that smiling brings.
This is because every smile has your body producing neurotransmitters, like serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins. Each of them has a special role in your mental health, with serotonin acting as an antidepressant, dopamine as an energy booster, and endorphins being natural pain relievers.
Your smile can brighten up someone’s day
Smiling is not a selfish act. Besides elevating your spirits, you can make someone’s day with your smile. The same applies to you when you see someone smiling. Even a baby or dog smiling will have you grinning in seconds.
This happens because smiling is contagious. One can say that smile is like a superpower that can dampen anxiety, fears, sadness, and all those feelings that stress us out. Sometimes, a person doesn’t need anything more than a smile to cheer up. And the best of all is that smiles are free to give and free to receive, making it the most available cure for the mind.
In conclusion
In 1955, Nat King Cole brought to life lyrics of Charlie Chaplin’s and David Raskin’s 1936 movie score “Smile”, composed for “Modern Times”. This haunting song has had many versions since then, but its message remained the same — “… If you smile through your fear and sorrow; Smile and maybe tomorrow; You’ll see the sun come shining through for you…” That’s the meaning behind the power of a smile, to change what you deem hopeless until someone smiles at you.
