Smiling Even When You Don’t Smile Can Make You Happier

Smiling more often is on many people’s to-do lists. But it’s not as easy a goal as most think. Sometimes it has to be done even if it doesn’t feel like it. This is part of the simple theory that happiness makes you smile and that smiling makes you happy.

The theory is based on the idea that the way you communicate with your body also affects your emotions. If you usually have an upright posture and a sad look on your face, you will probably be in a similar state of mind. In other words, your nonverbal communication has a “side effect” on you.

Smile functions

A smile is a common gesture. All people smile no matter what culture they are from. The interesting thing is that it is not just an expression of joy or happiness. There are three different smiles:

• Happy smile. This is the most famous smile. It is used to express happiness. Showing happiness to the world helps to feel satisfaction or fulfillment.
• Social smile. This smile is not about happiness. It is used to express safety  to those around you. This smile is used to tell people that they can trust you and they don’t have to be afraid of you. This kind of smile is used on the street, in the grocery queue, etc. It is used with people you don’t know.
• An arrogant smile. This smile is used to communicate superiority  and look more important to other people. It’s a sign of the pride and thought you have in mind as you do it: you consider yourself better than anyone else around you.

More often, smiling leads to happiness

It may be hard to believe, but a more relaxed, happier posture will also make you feel relaxed and happy. Most often, a smile is just one example of a physical behavior that can make you happy. Fritz Strack did a study in the 80s that proves it.

In the study, two groups of people were shown comic books. One group had to read cartoons with a pen in their mouth and another group without it. The pen stimulates the zygomaticus major muscle, which is the muscle used to smile.

The group that had a pen in their mouths were much more open to humorous content than those without pens. This led the researchers to conclude that a repetitive smile can lead to a positive mood.

This became a very influential theory of psychology because it stated that expressions can lead to special emotions. As well as emotions can lead to certain physical expressions.

The controversy surrounding Strack’s research

After this first study, the researchers tried to emulate previous results. Unfortunately, no one has got such clear results. There has been no experiment that has supported Strack’s research.

In fact, if you try to do it at home in front of a mirror, another well-known phenomenon is likely to interfere: the snow effect. As a result, you may get results from processes, medications, or treatments that don’t actually work.

Exercises that make you smile (and make you happy)

When we consider all this, the question arises, are there any exercises that will help you smile more?  Laurie Santos, a professor at Yale University, teaches just that and holds a dedicated “Psychology and the Good Life” course. It is the most popular course in Yale history. There, he talks about five things you can do every day to increase your sense of happiness:

1. Make a gratitude list

A few times a week, or even every night, you should take a notebook or diary and write down everything you are grateful for. You can use these questions to help you: what do you have in your life that makes you happy and / or whose presence in your life are you grateful for?

2. Sleep better

It’s not necessarily about getting more sleep, it’s about getting better sleep. As you grow up, the thought of sleeping 8 hours a day feels heavenly. It also seems that as you get older, you don’t have to sleep as much. It is also a fact that you have more problems that make falling asleep more difficult.

Everyone knows that there are many benefits to getting a good night’s sleep. First, it helps the hormonal system function properly.  It affects other body systems and functions such as metabolism, digestion and concentration.

3. Meditate

You can improve your mood with just 10 minutes of daily meditation. Meditation has been done for centuries and has been proven to be effective. It also has one amazing feature: it can improve your awareness.

4. Spend time with your loved ones

Being with loved ones helps you relax, forget responsibilities, and be happier. This is because there are many moments of happiness associated with social connections and interpersonal relationships: vacations, parties, games…

5. Spend less time on social media

Of course, the more time you spend with loved ones, also means less time for other forms of communication. For example, exchanging messages with people through the screen.

It is true that social media has many benefits, but “real relationships” should never suffer from them. Think for a moment about how real connections are much more important when it comes to quality of life and living. A smile doesn’t mean much if the only way to share it is with a smiley.

Finally, we only have one more thing to say:  don’t forget to smile more!