A simple smile can make you feel better. Some people are more prone to smiling, but everyone can learn to smile a little more often. When you understand the benefits of smiling, you can use this simple trick to boost your mood. Good oral health contributes to a comfortable smile and is a key part to your overall health. Smiling exercises can improve your mood and build better social connections.
The Power of A Smile
Some people can smile easily, but others find it difficult or it does not come naturally to them. This can be due to a lack of confidence or because they may not be attuned to smiling. Some families or cultures may not smile as much as others, and in some circumstances, it can be inappropriate. Certain medical conditions make it hard or even impossible to smile. Stress or emotional challenges can make someone feel like the weight of the world is on their shoulders. If that’s the case for you, by finding ways to smile, you can boost your mood. Refrain from telling other people to smile, you never know what someone is going through, this can cause tension and make them angry.
Physiological benefits
A genuine smile is typically recognizable by most people. Besides the corners of your mouth turning upwards and slightly outwards, your cheeks rise, the corners of your eyes wrinkle, and your eyes sparkle. The muscles you use to smile can be strengthened like any other muscle, you just need to find ways to do it more! This helps increase blood flow and improves muscle tone.
Smiling releases endorphins and dopamine, those feel-good chemicals, which can also help with pain relief. Additionally, serotonin gets released which can release tension. As a result of smiling, you can reduces stress naturally. So the more you smile, the better you can feel. Oddly enough, even if you force it, your mind can actually break a negative cycle and improve your mood. Of course, this isn’t always acceptable or you may be too entrenched in what is happening, but if you can remember that a smile might help, give it a try. I’m personally not a natural smiler, but once I learnt about the benefits of smiling, I gave it a shot and it benefitted me. It was hard at first, but it got easier with time.
Social benefits
A smile often conveys happiness, approval, and overall positivity. When someone smiles at you, they signal to you that they are approachable. Receiving a smile can make you trust the person more or at least ease any discomfort you may normally feel in that kind of situation. People that smile more come across as more confident and competent. Part of that could be because they feel better, which also makes it easier to tackle things. A smile also makes someone more attractive. Have you ever experienced a complete stranger smiling at you? Do you remember if you felt instantly a little better? Did you reciprocate? More often than not, you probably did, because smiling is contagious.
The Importance Of Oral Health
People can sometimes hold back a smile because their oral health is not the best. Stained teeth, misaligned teeth, or bad breath can all contribute to people shying away from a toothy display. Some of these problems have manageable solutions, but others can be costly.
Regular dental visits will help maintain your oral health and can also flag other critical health problems. Many people don’t realize the importance of a healthy mouth. That includes making sure you don’t have chipped or missing teeth, as that can have severe implications on your digestion. Gum disease can lead to inflamed gums and tooth loss if not treated early. It can also lead to bacteria in your bloodstream that can lead to other problems. A dentist also checks for oral cancer. And of course, plaque and tartar buildup can get worse with stress.
Dental visits can be costly, but it is better to address things early rather than later. If financial stressors are impeding your ability to seek dental help, look into local programs that may provide services at a reduced cost. Sometimes university programs or social programs provide the basic treatments for no cost as well. Make dental visits a part of your regular health check-ups, and in between visits, keep your oral health up by brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing.
5 Exercises To Help You Smile
Every smile is different, get to know what feels natural to you. Don’t feel pressured to show your teeth if it isn’t true to you. Relax your jaw muscles, don’t clench your teeth, and smile as wide as you can. By practicing how to smile or setting up reminders, you can bring a mood boost to your day with minimal effort.
1. Pencil hold
A good exercise to learn how to smile is to place a pencil horizontally in your mouth and hold it with your teeth, not your lips. Note, do not bite hard, simply hold the pencil, there should be minimal tension. The act forces you to use the same muscles you use to smile. This is good practice to engage those muscles, especially if you are not used to smiling. Then without the pencil, try to replicate engaging those same muscles on your own.
2. Mirror with affirmations
Stand in front of the mirror and smile at yourself. You can make this a part of your morning routine and pair it with affirmations. This gives you a chance to work on your confidence and give yourself a morning mood boost to start the day. Take this opportunity to remember how it feels to engage those smile muscles and then you can try to replicate it when you are with others. It’s important that you get comfortable with this so that it comes across as genuine.
3. Sticky reminders
Place sticky notes around your home and even one at work with a smiley face so that you remember to smile throughout the day.
4. Comedy show
Catch a comedy show with a friend. Laughter makes you smile easily without you even noticing. Caution, your cheeks might get a little sore!
5. Smile goal
Set a goal to smile at one new person every day. Not only do you feel good by doing it, you also make their day better too!
Smile everyday.
Smiles make people more approachable, which can help create better social connections. Good oral health is important to your overall health. By taking care of your teeth and gums, the more likely you will be comfortable smiling. Try out some smiling exercises to get more in touch with your natural smile. This will build your confidence and will get your smile muscles toned. Identify ways you can incorporate more smiles into your day, pair them with other self care tools to double-up on the benefits. Smiling creates a positive feedback loop that helps reduce stress and improves mood.
IMAGE CREDIT: Pexels | Max Andrey.