Photo by Nalina Kaufman.
When it comes to chatting and texting with our phones, everyone loves using smiley faces! But what about real life? It turns out, smiling in-person each day is one of the healthiest and happiness-producing things you can do each day. In this post, I’m going to review different types of smiles (along with some exciting science) you can use to feel more joy, look younger and change your life — starting today!
Sultry Smile
Did you know that one smile can give you the same level of brain stimulation as 2,000 chocolate bars? Or it can stimulate your mind as much as receiving $25,000 in cash? That’s according to a UK study, and if that’s true, just imagine the impact a sultry smile has on your brain and happiness. Of course, you don’t want to give your sultry smile to everyone, lest they get the wrong idea! Save it for your partner or lover and see what a difference it makes. [1]
Closed-Lip Smile
Hiding your teeth when smiling can indicate that the smiler is hiding something — but it doesn’t have to! For some people, this is just a style or preference, and it can be suitable when you want to just smile warmly or gently without a full blown smile. The good news is that, according to a study published in the journal Neuropsychologia, this type of smile still activates your orbitofrontal cortex, the region in your brain that process sensory rewards. [2] Which means, both you and the person you smile at feel rewarded. Win-win!
Smart Smile
Smiling may not make your smarter, but it can make people think you’re smarter! Recently, researchers took 40 men and women and administered an IQ test. They then asked others to rank their intelligence and what they found was eye-opening! As one researcher put it, “The ‘high intelligence’ faces appear to be smiling more than the ‘low intelligence’ faces.” [3]
Shy Smile
Sometimes you want to smile but you’re not sure if you should. Or maybe you’re just a little shy! That’s okay, in such situations, the “shy smile” can be your best friend. It’s almost like the type of smiles that babies do when they’re in the womb, and can be disarming with the power of its cuteness. Don’t be afraid to show off that shy smile and reap the many benefits smiling brings to your life. [4]
Laughing Smile
The laughing smile is not only healing for you, it’s the kind of smile that can positively change an entire room. Try out a laughing smile today and you’ll quickly understand why smiling has so many documented health benefits — including reducing stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, and dopamine), boosting your endorphins, and lowering blood pressure — according to researchers published in Mellen Studies in Psychology. [5] Give it a try today!
Crooked Smile
This isn’t quite a smirk, which I don’t really consider a smile. More like a partial or slightly restrained smile. Sometimes you break out the crooked smile when you’re about to laugh at something but you’re not sure if you should! Or when someone is teasing you and you want to let them know that you’re amused by the fun they’re poking at you.
A fun, flirty little crooked smile might be the perfect thing for your marriage as well — because, as UC Berkley researchers found, smiling more improves not only your well being but also increases satisfaction in your marriage. [6]
Full Blown Smile
Photo by Nalina Kaufman
I’ve saved the best for last! This is the smile you use when you want to light up the room. When you want to make someone’s day. When you feel joyful and alive and want to spread that goodness to anyone and everyone! A full blown, ear-to-ear smile is an incredible powerful tool in your smiling repertoire — don’t be afraid to use it! Just be sure to smile as widely as possible, because researchers have found that the wider you smile, the longer you live! [7]
Smiling Can Change Your Life!
As you’ve learned here, smiling is one of the single most scientifically-backed ways to feel better, transform your health, extend your life…even look younger and smarter.
Armed with these 7 smiles and this knowledge, you can bring more joy and good vibes to yourself and anyone you encounter. It’s exactly the type of positive, health-boosting tip that I love sharing — especially in the lead up to The Beauty Detox Power book (have you ordered your copy yet??).
So what are you waiting for? Make someone smile by sharing this, and then get out there and give others the gift of your smile!
Love,
Kimberly Snyder
Research:
[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2011/03/22/the-untapped-power-of-smiling/ [2] https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201206/there-s-magic-in-your-smile [3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/04/07/want-people-to-think-youre-smarter-smile-more/ [4] https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3105580.stm [5] https://www.mellenpress.com/mellenpress.cfm?bookid=5066&pc=9 [6] https://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2010/december-10/the-psychological-study-of-smiling.html [7] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7584633/Smiling-could-help-you-live-longer.html
Love it!!
Once I was in a conscious food workshop, and the end of it and rather old lady approached to me and asked If I meditated regularly. I was ashamed to admit that I don’t do it as much as I’d wanted. The old lady smile and said: Don’t worry, you have the most beautiful and peaceful smile, the kind of smile you get when you are at peace. It was the best compliment ever and kept me smiling the whole day!
Hi Kim, I love your smile. Where can I find the bracelet you are wearing? I love it.