Ahh, double posts two days in a row! I’M HYPER!!!
I stumbled across this article (pdf here) yesterday about the effect smiling has on your health. I thought the article was just going to say how forcing yourself to smile makes you happier. But! It was much more interesting than that!
Thanks for the grumpy cat pic rec, Anne! Image from here.
First of all, the article mentioned a runner who says smiling helps them feel less tired/stressed during their long runs! Funny to me, since I always try to smile when I am running – but for a different reason – so people who see me think I’m a happy runner (I am!) and think running is fun*.
Secondly, the article also said if you smile after a stressful event, your elevated heart rate will decline faster. Some researchers think only a genuine** smile causes health benefits, though, compared to a fake*** smile.
Thirdly, “Studies have found that the intensity of a person’s smile can help predict life satisfaction over time and even longevity.” But they are not sure if the smiling reflects your happiness level, contributes to it, or a little bit of both. Researchers think “It’s probably bidirectional. People who smile more tend to elicit more positive connections with other people, which in turn [can] help make you happier and healthier.”
And the article ended with reminding people to smile genuinely at others – because it makes others happy – “when people see a smile, so-called mirror neurons fire in their brain and evoke a similar neural response as if they were smiling themselves.” The article even mentions a coaching service for more genuine smiling that involves your whole face and gets that twinkle going in your eyes!
Do you think you can tell the difference between a genuine and fake smile?
Anyway, I bastardized the article and left out some other cool nuggets of information, so please check it out for yourself.
I found this article super interesting, because I do believe smiling makes me happier. There have been times I am grumpy and smiling helps!!! I need to remember that! Like, most weekdays, hint hint, Kim.
Do you think smiling can make you feel happier/healthier? Are you smiley?
I am super smiley cheese ball!
In focus and blurry smileys!
*Hmm, might be a stretch to think seeing me would make people think that. But let’s roll with it.
**Called ” ‘Duchenne smile,’ after the 19th century French neurologist who first described it.”
***Called ” ‘Pan Am’ smile after the polite expression the former airline’s stewardesses used to greet passengers.”
I read that smiling when you exercise/run helps you overcome the pain. I tried it in Austin — actually I smile a lot when I run and in general– and it worked! Yay.
I am also a super smiley cheese ball. I also believe it makes me happier but I suppose I also smile because I’m happy? I don’t know. I just smile a lot.
This article is really interesting. I need to finish reading over it. My cross country coach in high school used to tell us to smile when running because it makes your brain release endorphins which make you feel better. Not sure if that’s true but I often smile when things get tough in a run as a result.
I LOVE this for so many reasons!!
I smile a lot in general – both while running and in life – and I do it because it makes me happy, and it makes me feel like I really connect with other people. Jenna was making fun of me for this in the ortho office this morning, but I can’t (and don’t want to) help it. It makes me feel VISIBLE in a big world. And it relaxes people. And it makes me happy to see someone smile back.
In races, spectators comment to me OFTEN on how smily I am.
I am a firm believer in “we CHOOSE happy” and I choose happy as often as possible 🙂
Ha ha ha. Too funny that Jenna was making fun of you about it! I love smiley people! I can see why other people would get annoyed by them, I suppose.
Oh, we so totally choose happy 😉 You should write about that! Wink wink 😉
Oh yes I am super smiley all the time! Even in the morning. A co-worker once asked me at 7am when he saw me, why I am always smiling. I didn’t really have an answer – It just makes me feel better if I am smiling. I even smile when I am mad!
I’m totally trying that smile while you run thing.
How has your running been?! 🙂
I love your smiley running pic! I always look like death when I’m running, so I should probably work on that 🙂
I can usually tell a fake smile, because it’s just lacking the warmth and emotion. Unfortunately, I tend to see those most at work. But that might be common in the corporate world, I don’t know.
I’m usually smiling or laughing (often to myself… maybe that’s why my co-workers fake smile at me???), and it definitely helps with mood! And you know, when you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you (sorry, it’s hard to not be cheesy about this).
Ha ha ha. I think they are totally common at work. Mine are usually really forced there 😉
I love smiling. It’s my favorite! heehee
What a fun topic. I have been called ‘smiley’ all my life. I literally cannot stop sometimes. But I’m pretty sure thats a good thing. I’m just a happy person!
I really love this! I have a VERY expressive face-but because of skating I’ve got a killer “fake” smile. 🙂
I like smiling 🙂
I think it is beneficial during a race. It is like focusing on the positive even if you are hurting. I think I smile a lot when I run (or so I’ve been told by others) because I love it.
Great post!
I’ve never thought of the benefits of smiling while running!
Overall, I’m not a smiley person…but when I do, people know it’s for real! It’s actually a bit embarrassing because my natural face kind of says, “I’m grumpy, bitchy, and bored,” and sometimes when I’m out with friends or out at a bar where new people (men, cough cough) have showed up, they’ll say something like, “Your friend here doesn’t talk much…” or “You should try smiling more!” I hate it and it actually makes me feel bad about myself. (This is getting deeper than originally planned…)
I know some people who are smiley all the time, but they’re not necessarily the happiest.
Aww, that sucks that people say that about you, and can’t just accept that you are not that smiley! Geesh!
I am a very smiley person in general and people often comment on it. I enjoy smiling and I feel like it makes others more friendly towards me. I’ll have to try this smiling while running thing. I can only hope it makes me forget about how much pain I am in.
Interesting! I don’t know if I would call myself a smiley person. But when I do you know it’s genuine!
I like that fact that you smile when you run!! That would make me happy (and smile too) if I saw you smiling and running!! I smile a lot and I have noticed that smiling does make me feel happier! And it does seem to pass on some happiness too!!
=^..^=