Did you ever feel comfortable asking a favor from a stranger who’s scowling? Yeah, me neither.
However, if that same stranger was smiling, you would have felt much more comfortable approaching them. And, that brings us to the truly magical effects of smiling.
If you’re a skeptic of the “grin and bear it” school of thought, then no worries. You’ve come to the right place to learn all about the benefits of smiling.
Keep on reading for our top four reasons we believe should answer your main question: “why smile?”
1. Why Smile: It Makes You Look Attractive
Most of us are naturally hardwired to be attracted to folks who smile. You might think that it’s a bit shallow to think about being attractive to others. But, what about wanting to ace an interview?
Considering that attractive people are more likely to be hired than those who are considered to be less attractive, smiling starts to look like it has a bigger effect on your financial wellbeing than simply boosting your appearance.
Speaking of attractiveness and smiles, you’ll want to pay close attention to your dental health. Having cavities and tooth decay won’t help you make a good impression, so make sure you’re going to the dentist for a preventative action plan or treatment.
2. Smiling Improves Your Immune System
When you smile, your body releases more white blood cells than your regular average amount. With a higher percentage of white blood cells running through your body, you have a higher chance of fighting against diseases.
This tends to boost your immunity, thus making you a bit healthier.
3. Smiling Makes You Happier
We know that this point might sound a bit counterintuitive at first. After all, don’t people smile because they’re happy, not the other way around?
Interestingly enough, our brains are hardwired to smile during pleasant situations. When that happens, it releases endorphins, which are hormones that lower your stress and boosts your overall mood.
You can hijack your brain but voluntarily smiling. Once you do, your brain will go ahead and release those precious endorphins, thus making you feel a lot happier than you were a mere minute ago.
4. Smile for an Increase in Confidence
This isn’t a fake-it-till-you-make-it situation, at least not only so.
True, smiling will make you look more confident than you might actually be. But, if you keep doing it in the long-run, you’ll garner more attention, trust, and respect, which in turn, will automatically make you feel more confident.
It helps you in building external validation to your sense of self-worth.
Ready for an External and Internal Glow-Up?
It’s the turn of a new year, and if there is a time for a much-needed glow-up it is right now after surviving 2020.
If you’ve been asking “why smile in the first place?” We hope that our four main benefits of smiling were able to convince you to give it a try. After all, the best thing about smiling is that it’s free.
For now, you’ll want to check out our ‘health’ and ‘lifestyle’ sections for all the tips and tricks you could possibly need for a whole new you in 2021.