You’ve probably heard it many times before — it takes more muscles to smile than to frown. At New Smile Dentures And Implants, our cosmetic dentist is all about helping patients show off their pearly whites. In this post, we thought it would be good to discuss the importance of smiling and how it can have a positive effect on your life.
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Here are seven reasons to smile every day,
as referenced from HuffPost Life:
Smiling can improve your mood
Obviously, a smile communicates that we’re happy. What many people don’t realize, though, is that facial expressions also have the ability to influence our mood.
Let’s consider an example. You’re stuck at a standstill in rush hour traffic even though your to-do list keeps getting longer. Sure, your first thought might be to get mad despite the fact there isn’t one thing you can do about the situation. As silly as it seems, forcing a smile tells your brain to align more strongly with the positive emotion your face is communicating.
Smiling helps reduce stress
According to the American Psychological Association, a whopping 44 percent of Americans report their stress levels have increased over the past five years. What’s more concerning about this statistic is that only a select group of these people are actually taking the steps necessary to lessen their stress levels in a healthy manner.
This is where smiling, once again, can be effective. Studies show that people who smile while performing a stressful task often experience a significant reduction in heart rate compared to those whose expressions remain either neutral or negative. This ties back to the aforementioned point about how smiling can influence our mood.
Smiling makes you more approachable
Let’s turn our attention to the workplace for a moment. Whether you’re in a customer-facing role or not, you obviously want to be approachable. Here’s the thing: Being approachable starts with having a positive facial expression.
Always remember that smiling employees come across as more likable and friendly. So the next time you meet with a coworker or client, do your best to smile every now and then. Chances are they will leave the meeting satisfied with the interaction as a whole.
Smiles are contagious
Everyone knows that one person with a contagious smile. It’s like whenever they enter a room, those around them can’t help but smile as well. Interestingly, there’s a scientific explanation behind this idea.
As you can see in the HuffPost article, humans possess cells in the premotor cortex and inferior parietal cortex called mirror neurons. The intriguing part about mirror neurons is that they are activated when we perform a certain action and when we watch someone else doing it. Pretty cool, right?
Smiling increases your productivity
Looking for an easy way to boost your productivity levels at work or school? Rather than mess around with ineffective and potentially unsafe pills and supplements, just flash a big smile instead! The HuffPost article cites a 2010 study where researchers concluded that happiness can have a major effect on productivity at work.
We recommend giving this a try the next time you’re in less than a stellar mood in the office. You really have nothing to lose and everything to gain when it comes to smiling.
Smiles are free
Think about what you do to achieve happiness on a daily basis. Perhaps you grab a coffee on the way to work, buy lunch from your favorite restaurant, or work out at the gym on the way home. While all of these can technically be labeled “mood boosters,” they all cost money as well.
Don’t forget that smiling is absolutely free! As you know, even one smile and/or laugh goes a long way in being happy and positive during the day.
Smile More Thanks To Our Cosmetic Dentist
Here at New Smile Dentures And Implants, we have a passion for transforming patients’ smiles. Whether you have missing teeth, crooked teeth, or stained teeth, our cosmetic dentist can customize a long-term solution to meet your needs and budget.
Ready to learn more about our dental services in Denver? Contact New Smile Dentures And Implants today!