Smile - it really will make you happy

I believe success is directly linked to self-belief and the ability to think positivity in the face of adversity and rejection.

Concentrating on goals, believing in them, dispelling doubts as nonsense, and accepting success as the only possible outcome.

Call me “new-age”, but I 100 per cent believe control of the mind and refusal to believe in “realistic” limitations  is the key.

At one point it would have been “unrealistic” to expect to get into a metal tube in London, and step off in Australia 20 hours later, again, thankfully the Wright and Short Brothers didn’t think so.

They weren’t limited by “realistic” thinking.

Seemingly impossible goals all started off as ideas,  total belief they were possible brought them to reality – that is my kind of realism.

Sometimes it is hard to completely turn your mind around and inject positivity into a situation which seems totally doomed.

And it was with this thought in mind that a piece of research about smiling caught my eye this morning.

Smiling is actually a hugely powerful tool in the armoury of the positive thinker, and by itself can apparently open the door to a happy life.

Research suggests it is vital not just to focus on keeping your mind in a healthy state of positivity. The simple act of smiling, even when it seems to contradict how you are feeling, can drastically turn your life around.

A social experiment involved giving a pair of twins instructions for one to smile all day, whatever the situation, and one to frown.

Their facial expressions were not to be dictated by the way they felt, but they were to either grin or scowl throughout the course of the day.

Both women were in their early 20s, and have relatively similar lives as primary school teachers, the results were analysed by television psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos.

She found that despite doing the same things during the day, their experiences and the way they felt about them were completely different.

“The girl who was allowed to smile felt very positive and content,” she said.

“She engaged in conversations she usually wouldn’t have and said smiling gave her a boost of energy and satisfaction.

“However, the girl who wasn’t allowed to smile felt negative, awkward and unsettled.” 

She said the social impact of just smiling “cannot be understated”, it affects not just how we feel but how others view us.

The research was carried out by Pearl Drops toothpaste which compiled a list of the positive benefits of smiling, with analysis from Dr Papadopoulos (right).

Smiling releases “feel good” chemicals in our brains to make us feel happier.

“Research shows that the mere act of the physical gesture of smiling, even to yourself, can improve mood as the brain associates the facial gesture with positive emotional feelings thus releasing feel good chemicals in our brains.”

Smiling helps get us noticed by the opposite sex.

“A woman's smile has a significant effect on men, over and above eye contact. 

“One study examined how men approached women in a bar (Walsh and Hewitt 1985). 

“When a woman only established eye contact with a man, she was approached 20 per cent  of the time. 

“When the same woman added a smile, though, she was approached 60 per cent of the time.”

Smiling is contagious.

 “We mirror what we see in each other.” 

Smiling connects us to the here and now.

“Smiling boosts your enjoyment in what you’re doing. It’s fascinating how this simple facial gesture can have an impact on your perception and help you focus more closely on the positive aspects of your experience.”

Smiling helps others trust us.

“One signal that suggests we are trustworthy is a smile. 

“Genuine smiles send a message that other people can trust and cooperate with us.””

Smiling can spark conversation.

“When someone smiles at us, we often see this as an invitation to connect and be friendly.”  

Smiling lets others know we’re okay.

“A solemn face can be indicative that something isn’t right and create a sense of uneasiness among those around them. So by not smiling, it can indicate that something is wrong.”

Smiling speaks volumes.

“Only a small percentage of our communication is verbal, so we rely heavily on non-verbal cues, such as smiling, to read each others behaviour. This is why we are very quick to judge people’s emotions according to their facial expression. 

“The fact is that often we smile subconsciously, without really thinking about it.”

Smiling makes you seem polite.

“Culturally we see smiling in certain situations as the polite and socially acceptable thing to do.  Smiles are often used as an initial greeting, a kind of gestural 'hello.’”

Smile to live longer. 

“Consider this: people who smile more may live longer. A study of pictures taken of baseball players in 1952 suggests those smiling outlived their non-smiling counterparts by seven years (Abel 2010).”

 Here is what the twins had to say:

Non-smiling twin: “It’s so depressing not smiling, I don’t know how anyone can get through a day and not smile, I think it has a really negative effect on everything… it can change your mood, the way you feel, the way others view you.

“I think because I always usually smile, I hadn’t really thought about the effects of not smiling.

“Obviously, sometimes if I’m worrying or feeling upset, then I might not smile but that’s because there is a reason and it can be justified but not to smile for the sake of not smiling was really uncomfortable.” 

Smiling twin: “The most positive thing that I got from today was the first open and friendly conversation I had in my staff room with two colleagues who I barely know.

“Without the smile I gave them while getting my tea this morning, I don’t think they would have engaged me in conversation.

“This feels like the beginning of a new positive working relationship which is clearly a result from smiling.”

  

Sometimes it takes effort to keep thinking along a positive track whatever is thrown at us, even though, I believe, this moulds a happy and successful life.

Maybe the simple act of putting on a smile, however inappropriate it feels (obviously being sensitive to the situation), could be more powerful than we ever thought.