{"id":1831,"date":"2021-10-06T09:24:24","date_gmt":"2021-10-05T22:24:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/curious\/?p=1831"},"modified":"2021-10-10T20:33:49","modified_gmt":"2021-10-10T09:33:49","slug":"explore-the-science-behind-your-smile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/curious\/explore-the-science-behind-your-smile","title":{"rendered":"Explore the science behind your smile"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cSometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy,\u201d says peace activist, spiritual leader and Buddhist poet Thich Nhat Hanh. There is truth in his words. Researchers at the University of Kansas found that smiling helps to reduce the body\u2019s response to stress and can lower the heart rate in tense situations. Several other studies suggest that smiling can cause people to feel more uplifted or fulfilled, can help maintain blood pressure and can even lead to improved immunity.<\/p>\n

During the pandemic, our faces have often been hidden behind facemasks or Zoom\u2019s \u201ccamera-off\u201d setting. There has been less opportunity to smile at store attendants, neighbours and colleagues. With facemasks and working from home likely to continue, at least in some capacity, how can we still reap the wellbeing benefits of a smile?<\/p>\n

The science of smiling<\/h2>\n

With our faces often hidden, you might think there is little point in smiling if no-one can see it, but think again. According to Annika Rose, a Perth-based happiness scientist and wellbeing author, \u201cWhen we smile, we release chemicals into the nervous system that reach our brain and tell us we\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n

The brain responds by releasing a combination of happy hormones \u2014 serotonin, endorphins and dopamine that lift your mood, make you feel good and urge you to repeat this rewarding behaviour. Signals are sent around your nervous system and the good feelings flow in a positive feedback loop as you feel good, smile more and on it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Researchers have long agreed that not all smiles are created equal. There are 19 types of smiles, including embarrassed, fake and flirtatious, but only six of these express true joy. The most genuine type of joyful smile is known as the Duchenne smile (named after 19th-century neurologist and smile researcher Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne); it\u2019s the smile that reaches your eyes and lights up your face, an expression of true enjoyment. Non-Duchenne smiles are generally considered to be \u201cpolite\u201d smiles \u2014 perhaps including that awkward lip tightening you do when you walk past a colleague you don\u2019t know very well in the corridor.<\/p>\n

Survival instinct<\/h2>\n

Not only does smiling lead to an abundance of wellbeing benefits, it also helps strengthen social bonds. Smiles, when shared, create a kind of \u201csocial cohesion\u201d that enables us to feel empathy and help one another to survive. Annika explains: \u201cA smile stimulates your brain\u2019s reward mechanism more strongly than money or chocolate has the capacity to do. There\u2019s an evolutionary benefit to smiling too; researchers believe that smiles were used as a survival mechanism, signalling that you were willing to bond and form relationships with others around you. It\u2019s an instinctive and universally understood facial expression, a cross-cultural communication of something \u2018good\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Community transmission<\/h2>\n

Smiles are contagious, as the famous Louis Armstrong song says: \u201cWhen you\u2019re smiling, the whole world smiles with you.\u201d Some researchers believe this instinct for facial mimicry is an evolutionary trait that allows us to empathise with others\u2019 feelings. \u201cWe naturally simulate other people\u2019s facial expressions in social settings to better understand their experience by creating it for ourselves and seeing how it feels, so that we can relate,\u201d says Annika.<\/p>\n

Ros Ben-Moshe is a laughter therapist and founder of LaughLife, an organisation that runs laughter therapy and wellbeing programs. Ros says smiles are easily transmitted because of mirror-neurons, brain cells that fire when we receive a smile, stimulating us to mirror it. \u201cIf I gave you a heartfelt smile, even if you weren\u2019t feeling great today, your brain doesn\u2019t have time to process the analytical side and it triggers these mirror-neurons,\u201d she explains. \u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful ripple effect of positivity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unprecedented smiling<\/h2>\n

But during a time when our lips are often masked, how else can we \u201csmile\u201d? \u201cWearing a mask limits the cues available to us for facial mimicry, making it harder to read and properly react to other people\u2019s expressions and, therefore, emotions,\u201d says Annika. The good news is that mirror-neurons are not just triggered by the mouth, but the eyes too. It might be time to practise your \u201csmize\u201d (smiling with the eyes) and finally master eye contact, which can help you read another\u2019s expression and create a connection even when you can\u2019t see their mouth.<\/p>\n

Note the body language of the person you\u2019re interacting with, too, says Annika. \u201cWhat does it say about what they are trying to convey? A simple gesture such as a wave can be used to accompany smiling eyes \u2014 so even if a smile is hidden behind a mask, your happiness can still be visible to others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Choosing joy<\/h2>\n

Although research has found that genuine Duchenne smiles have the strongest \u201cfeel-good\u201d impact, even non-Duchenne, or \u201cforced\u201d smiles, can have a positive effect. Try adding a smile into every day. Smile behind your mask, watch a funny movie, download a comedy podcast, or call that friend who always knows how to make you laugh. Make time to intentionally smile, because like muscle memory, you can retrain your brain to release those happy hormones.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if people don\u2019t find a natural disposition to smiling, it\u2019s about choosing to smile,\u201d says Ros Ben-Moshe. \u201cNo matter what is going on in your day, you can change your physiology. It is one of the simplest things you can do to create positive wellbeing. The more you practise it, the more you will find that within a matter of weeks you will be smiling more often.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hiding your smile from others doesn\u2019t mean you have to mask your joy; you just need to find creative ways to express it. Ros suggests finding other things that symbolise a connection for masked-up moments. That might be a wave, a thumbs up, or placing a hand on your chest to express warmth or sincerity. Also try varying the intonation of your voice; a higher-pitched greeting usually expresses excitement or happiness. \u201cVocal cues take greater precedence while wearing masks,\u201d says Ros. \u201cFor example, saying out loud \u2014 rather than it being assumed \u2014 \u2018It’s lovely seeing you\u2019, or [laughing as you say] \u2018I am smiling under here!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Spending time alone or in lockdown is no excuse not to smile. In a time when we are becoming increasingly isolated, seeing or expressing a smile can be really powerful, even if it\u2019s to yourself or over video-chat. \u201cSmile to yourself in the mirror, smile at your pet. Do a guided smiling meditation at home,\u201d suggests Ros. \u201cIf you\u2019re in a period of lockdown, Facetime someone so you can see their face and share a smile, rather than just having a phone conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even on a stressful day, it\u2019s worth remember that a smile can be the source of your joy.<\/p>\n

Tips for \u201csmiling\u201d behind a mask<\/h2>\n