Reasons to Smile

The act of smiling is more complex than most people give it credit for, and smiling can literally change your life and the lives of people around you. Here are three reasons why you should start to show off your pearly whites to start benefitting your mind, body and soul.

First, smiling helps your mind because it can change your mood. Psychologists have found that if you smile for a minimum of 60 seconds, whether the smile is forced or fake, that the body will begin to emit serotonin which is a hormone that can trick the body into making a person feel happy.

Second, smiling can help your body, because it boosts your immune system. Smiling has been proven to steady one’s breathing, lower the heart rate and relax the entire body, which contributes to a stronger immune system, and ultimately, better health.

Third, smiling can better your soul because it can help you live longer. Positivity is a direct result of smiling which means that smiling keeps everyone happier. A research team at Columbia University concluded that people who were happier were less likely to develop heart problems. So for the sake of your mind, body, and soul make sure that you smile and remember that, in the words of Dale Carnegie, “A smile costs nothing, but creates much. It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give. It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.”