5 REASONS TO KEEP ON SMILING

Smiling comes so naturally to us that we never really think about all the benefits associated with it. Smiles are absolutely free and help you wirelessly spread the joy with the people around you. A simple smile can help you repair strained relationships and win new friends. If these weren’t enough, we bring you our list of 5 reasons to turn that frown upside down and break into a smile.

 

1. BREAKS THE LANGUAGE BARRIER

Visiting a foreign land where people speak a different language may cause some communication problems. While hand gestures help bridge the gap they can also lead to confusion. Mainly because different cultures have different meanings for identical gestures. Smiling, on the other hand, is recognized and understood by all.

Respected facial expressions researcher Paul Ekman studied the behavior of a tribal group in Papua New Guinea, who stay secluded from the outside world. According to Ekman, the Fore tribe members smiled and laughed for the same reasons everyone else does. Smiling is a universally understood gesture that can help break the ice and spread happiness.

 

2. SMILING MAY REDUCE STRESS

It may sound too good to be true but there is enough scientific reasoning for this conjecture. Smiling encourages the body to reduce the secretion of cortisol and dopamine. These are stress hormones that leave you feeling panicked and stressed out. Launching a two-pronged attack on stress, smiling also promotes the production of endorphins and serotonin, hormones that are known to reduce stress and improve mood. So put your dentist to work on it and get your best smile on. Next time you are out on a date, why not start with a joke! Chances are you will not only impress your partner but also set a relaxed mood.

3. MAKES YOU LOOK MORE CAPABLE

A study conducted by researchers at the Penn State University concluded that smiling makes you look more competent and confident. These are major assets for anyone looking to climb the corporate ladder. Employers are also more inclined to hire people with these attributes as they appeal to them as more motivated. Now, we are not saying that smiling excessively will get you your dream job or help you bag that promotion. However, it does improve your chances by making you more sociable.

 

4. SMILING MAY BOOST IMMUNE SYSTEM

To test this theory a group of children was visited in a hospital by puppeteers and funny storytellers. After the visit, the children that were visited witnessed an 8.43% increase in their total lymphocyte count. If you don’t know it already, lymphocytes are the battle units of the immune systems that are also known as white blood cells. Smiling and being happy can help increase the production of white blood cells which gives you a better chance fending off infections and diseases.

 

5. SMILING CAN KEEP WRINKLES AT BAY

Wrinkles are formed due to the loss of facial muscle tone. Smiling not only strengthen and tighten the facial muscles but also increases circulation. This keeps nourishes the tissue cells and makes your face look plump. In fact, German fitness trainer, Heike Hoefler recommends his clients to perform smiling exercises to tighten the facial muscles. He firmly believes that toned facial muscles help keep the skin in position thus preventing wrinkles from forming.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/twitter-ditrored/5-reasons-to-keep-on-smiling/