As I’ve written about, and spoken about, countless times, smiling is the simplest happiness tool. This article in Axios talks about smiling as “one of your most powerful tools — to improve health, bolster relationships and just feel better…”
According to the article, research shows “Americans tend to smile more and wider than folks in other countries” with mental and physical health benefits including stress relief, pain relief, and strengthened relationships.
For example, “…smiling during running can make you more efficient and make the run feel more manageable. Our smiles send cues to our brains that we’re okay…(and) smiling during a shot can lessen the perceived pain of the needle.”
“When you smile in a tense situation, your body has a real, physical response, researchers at the University of Kansas found. Your heart rate slows down, and your stress starts to melt away — even if you’re not actually feeling smiley. Basically, fake it till you make it.”
Try it – for your happiness.
Be happy,
David