In one of our previous articles we talked about how your smile is your secret weapon to success. That is still incredibly true, but smiling more also leads to your overall happiness levels increasing as well.
Charles Darwin first explored this idea in 1872 when he wrote “The free expression by outward signs of an emotion intensifies it”. So if you frown, you are more likely to feel sad and stressed. But if you smile, you are much more likely to feel happy.
In 2009 a study run by the University of Cardiff was published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, which followed 25 cosmetic-surgery people, 12 of whom received injections of Botox and the others got fillers and placebo treatments for wrinkles. Two weeks passed and all the participants were given a Hospital Anxiety and Depression test (a self-screening survey) and they rated their treatments on how successful they thought they were.
The crucial findings were that those who received real Botox scored much lower on measure of anxiety and depression compared to the placebo group. They also found that there was no significant difference between how successful they thought their treatment was and how attractive it made them feel, suggesting that the mood boost wasn’t just to one of self-confidence.
Botox paralyzes the muscles involved in facial expressions. You are then unable to frown and make yourself feel sad. The connection between this and a lift in the mood, suggests that there is a link between the expressions you exhibit and how you feel. As such, you are able to able to trick your brain into feeling happy or sad just by the facial expressions you use, based on the research above.
In his TED talk, The Hidden Power Of Smiling, Ron Gutman talks about a study in Germany, which used fMRI scans on the brain to measure brain activity before and after the injection of Botox. The findings of this study supported the one above and also Darwin’s theory that your facial expressions modify the emotions your brain produces, making you feel better when you smile.
As we mentioned in our last article on the power of smiling, smiling more reduces your stress levels, which is also good for your health. Smiling releases endorphins and helps to reduce your blood pressure. It’s also contagious and makes you look good to others, who feel better when they see you smiling and view you as a more competent person.
So anytime you want to reduce your stress levels, look more confident, feel happier and live a healthy life, just remember you have an amazing, powerful and free tool that is your smile. We strive to make you feel your best and bring happiness into your life, so if you have any concerns in regards to your smile, don’t hesitate to contact us today. You can see some of our amazing transformations and make a plan to your happy, fulfilling life.
