True or False? Smiling has positive effects on your brain.
This is true! Better yet, not only does smiling have psychological benefits for you, but you can extend those benefits to someone else.
Smiling Fights Stress
Smiling activates the release of molecules that work towards fighting stress. These molecules help us experience a range of emotions—from happiness to sadness, excited to angry—but when we smile, dopamine, endorphins and serotonin are released in the bloodstream. This helps the body relax, and can even lower your heart rate and blood pressure.
Even better? The brain doesn’t know the difference between a fake smile, and a real one. If you need a pick-me-up, fake a smile but see real results!
Smiling Affects Others
You’ve probably heard that smiling is contagious. This is true, because it’s an automatic response! The part of the brain that is responsible for smiling when happy, or mimicking another’s smile, is located in the cingulate cortex. It’s an unconscious, automatic response area.
So, share your smile with others—they won’t be able to help but to catch it!