Intentional Smiling
Contents
We’re chemically rewarded when we smile. ⬦ Smiling is an autonomic social response. ⬦ We find smiling faces attractive. ⬦ Smiling makes us happy & being happy makes us smile.
Intentional Smiling
We all know someone like this. That someone that is always presented complete with a smile. I admit I’m that person. The one that fabricates a smile in the worst of times yet smiles just bubble out when our world is calm and running smoothly.
Some of us have a natural inclination to smile. Others must simply develop a habit of smiling. I recently encouraged a few clients to incorporate this practical psychology behavior into their daily routine for the chemical benefit to our bodies as well as the subconscious social cues we provide one another.
The chemical foundation of smiling
New research of the last few years suggests our physiology is designed for dynamic bi-directional links between our mind and body. Think mind and gut flora connection.
Painting a smile activates the release of neuropeptides, essential stress management compounds which solicit proper chemical communication amongst neurons.
Smiling naturally induces the release of serotonin, the neurotransmitter associated with happiness; and the neurotransmitter dopamine, commonly coined the feel-good hormone. Both serotonin and dopamine are two chemicals specifically targeted by antidepressants. Smiling is also associated with cardiovascular benefits of lower blood pressure and slower heart rate.
A study published in Neuropsychologia states that visually interpreting a smiling face is processed as a sensory reward in the orbitofrontal cortex. It's an otherwise pleasure to gaze upon someone that is smiling. Adjacent studies suggest we deem smiling people as more attractive than their frowning counterparts.
Impact your environment with a smile
Mimicry is a form of flattery so they say. Our neurophysiology that regulates our happily smiling facial expressions is the cingulate cortex. This unique area performs in an autonomic state and desires to replicate an incoming smile from another person.
Researchers performed a study and discovered that participants were compelled to smile when smiled upon. It takes a conscious effort to not smile back, they concluded.
I’m happy therefore I smile or I smile therefore I’m happy?
The proverbial ‘fake it until you make it’ seems fitting here. It appears we can induce positive feedback for awkward social encounters with this clever biological mechanism.
Is it plausible that we can force a smile and be happy? It seems that smiling isn’t just the evidence of our internal state. Maybe we can choose it by forming a smile. Something to think about!
Being chemically rewarded from an intentional smile we provide is a powerful biological function we have to give ourselves.
Graciously giving this simplistic, altruistic smiling gift to our family, friends, but also to strangers seems to be an effective way to knowingly brighten someone’s day.
Harness mimicry. Go out and spread some smiles.