The Power of a Smile is Strong Medicine and Can Even Lead to Love

The power of a smile should never be underestimated. It is capable of unseating a powerful opponent, easing the fears of a crying child, and even winning the heart of a passerby. The most beguiling smiles in history have been known to steal kingdoms and topple powers. With such a potentially powerful tool at your disposal, it only makes sense to protect and maintain your smile. A smile with love behind it has many positive effects. It stimulates the brain and helps others see you as friendly. In addition, it brings joy to the people around you.

When you smile, you open the door to falling in love. A simple smile, genuine or even forced, prompts the brain to produce endorphins and serotonin, causing positive emotions. When someone sees you smiling, they tend to smile in response. As a result, the stimulation of the smile muscles releasing endorphins makes them feel better. Therefore, they associate you with feeling good, and this makes them more likely to want to spend more time with you.

Both men and women were attracted to smiling faces when it came to searching for partners suitable for long-term relationships, not short-term.

How Do We Measure the Power of a Smile?

We have established that smiling has a number of positive effects on both the mind and the body. In fact, smiling is more effective in stimulating the reward mechanism of the brain than chocolate is when it comes to making people feel happy. The author of “Smile: The Astonishing Powers of a Simple Act” Ron Gutman said, “British researchers found that one smile can generate the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 bars of chocolate.” For example, even if you force a smile, you’ll feel better.

In another follow-up story, Forbes magazine compared the brain stimulation from a smile to the same feeling a person has upon receiving $25,000.  This response was based on a study conducted in the UK using an electromagnetic brain scan machine and heart-rate monitor to create “mood-boosting values” for various stimuli.

The nice thing about smiling is that it is something you can keep giving away to others, and with benefits for all. Consider that when you smile, you look good and feel good. When others see you smile, they smile. When they smile, they look good and feel good, too.

Real or Not, a Smile Has the Power to Grow on You

Even if you don’t feel it at first, keep on smiling. Your fake smile will grow into a genuine smile pretty darn quick (PDQ). Smiling can trick your brain into believing you’re happy which can then spur actual feelings of happiness. So fake it until you make it!

The longer you work at smiling, the more your brain will begin to release chemicals that help support a more positive state of mind. So, if you are feeling down in the dumps, this is especially good to know. As a result, you truly can turn that frown upside down and begin to feel better. It does take discipline and is by no means a substitute for mental health care. But for a positive start to the day, try spending a minute or two smiling at yourself in the mirror. After lunch, give yourself an afternoon facelift by doing the same.

Feeling bold? Go for a “smile” walk in the park, around your office, the gym, campus, or your local grocery store. Pick a place where you feel safe and confident. Instead of looking down or away from people, look up and smile. Make a mental note of how you feel before and after your smile walk.

The Power of a Smile, Love, and Partners

An overwhelming majority of adults (85%) consider a person’s smile to be very important at the first meeting. In addition, almost 9 out of 10 (86%) think people with good teeth are more attractive to the opposite sex. So why are smiles so connected to dating and our interaction with potential partners? It is primarily about the psychology of the way others perceive your smile.

A study conducted by Kelton Global discovered that 29 percent of those surveyed say a person’s smile is the first thing they notice. And 24 percent say it is the facial aspect they remember most after meeting someone. What’s even crazier is this finding — 38 percent of those polled say they would opt out of a second date with someone because of misaligned teeth. Even more interesting is that 57 percent of Americans would rather have a nice smile than clear skin. Research by Wrigley finds that attractiveness is more related to the smile than it is to makeup.

The benefits of having a great smile go well beyond being perceived as attractive. It is also an indicator of success since it can enhance your career, according to The Chicago Tribune. A Penn State study concludes that service industry employees who smile make positive impressions on their customers. And, according to University of Pittsburgh researchers, smiling makes you seem more trustworthy. In the study, 45 models smiled at different increments. Participants ranked the level of trustworthiness they perceived. The bigger the smile, the more trustworthy the models were.

We are drawn to people who smile because we consider them to be more positive, successful, and trustworthy. But most importantly, they make us feel good.

Utilize the Power of Your Smile to Enhance Life Today

Feel good about yourself when you reveal your beautiful smile! Practice daily for five minutes in your bathroom mirror. You can’t go wrong when you focus on improving your smile. The more confidence you have in your smile, the more confidence you will have overall. If you have issues with your smile, Sky Ortho has solutions that may be right for you. Contact us today to see if we can help you achieve the smile of your dreams. We accept many types of insurance and also have financial plans in place. Plus, Sky Ortho is open on Saturdays to help with your schedule.