I’m a huge advocate for smiling at complete
strangers. You don’t have to be overly zealous about the smile lest you appear
creepy to others. But honestly, it’s not hard to put a little effort in just
showing you’re respectful of public crowds and what they’re doing on any given
day. A smile, in a sense, is meant to say “I see you there and understand that
you’re busy, but hello.”
But if you go about your day without smiling
or acknowledging anyone else, you can come off as a loner, an unhappy person,
or even mean and unapproachable.
Is it fair that others may think these things
about you? Not really. But again, it takes little to no effort at all to appear
pleasant while out and about so that others know you’re just an average human
like they are.
Surprisingly, smiling does a heck of a lot more for you than you may have originally considered. Here are a few things smiling can do for you, your social life, and even your health in general.
Surprisingly, smiling does a heck of a lot more for you than you may have originally considered. Here are a few things smiling can do for you, your social life, and even your health in general.
Smiling
makes you more productive
The more you smile, the more you get done.
Basically, your brain can be tricked into being more positive and happy, which
is when you’re at your most creative and motivated.
Smiling
can alter your brain
Smiling from one day to the next can actually
reteach your brain to be happier and more positive. Who in their right mind
wouldn’t want this sort of change?
Smiling is free and can be contagious
Smiling is free and can be contagious
Right. Think of the first response someone
gives you when you smile at them. If you didn’t answer “Smile back”, then you
were wrong.
There’s some science behind why we do this,
but basically our brains learn to copy gestures when you see someone else doing
it. If anything, it means to say “I am like you and we are both equal.”
Smiling instills trust
Who would you rather trust? A) Someone who is
pleasantly smiling and acknowledges your existence or B) someone who looks at
you but doesn’t smile or really seem to care about you at all? Uh, yeah. It’s
option A.
Smiling reduces stress
Smiling reduces stress
The more you smile, the more you’re able to
relax your facial muscles and calm your nervous system. This all leads to
reduced stress and more oxygen in your brain. Endorphins are a seriously underrated chemical in your
body.