Smile a day keeps the stress away: How essential SMILE in our daily lives?

Did you know that a simple genuine smile is a simple act of charity?

Some say a smile is the best cure to a weary mind and the easiest way to touch someone's soul. No matter how gloomy your mood is, when someone smiles at you, it always brightens up your day and you tend to smile back. A common but great picture of life, isn't it? A smile is a simple yet the best gesture to delight you or someone else. 

 

A smile associated with laughter. My nephew George with his dog, Bronson.  

But how often do you smile: always, seldom, or maybe never? Well, it’s bad if you don't. 

 

The smile of happiness. My mom and dad with our little Gracey. Photo by Nerissa Vernick

SMILE TO EVERYONE FOR A WEEK CHALLENGE

 

A friend of mine gave me the idea to write about SMILE. Here's our dialogue:

 

Friend: Hey, what about a smile challenge for your subject?

When I heard it, I smiled and thought to myself, why not?

Charito: Why not, but have you tried this challenge before? 

Friend: Yes, for a week.

Charito: Okay. I find it amusing and interesting! I'll write about it, but you need to help me. 

Friend: Sure, how?

Charito: You need to tell me your experience and the result of taking that challenge. So how was your experience?

Friend: It's good. People react to it well (my friend chuckled). It brings happiness around you, it makes other people smile as well. 

Charito: Were you happy doing it? 

Friend: Yes.

Charito: If so, have you thought of continuing it as part of your daily life? 

Friend: I wanted to, but I couldn't remember to always smile. 

And we both laughed.

 

This simple yet meaningful conversation I had with my friend led me to write an article about SMILES. I got inspired by the smile to everyone for a week challenge. As a result, I accepted the challenge. 

 

I'm somehow aloof and I find it hard to smile at everyone, but when I did the 'smile to everyone for a week challenge,' it changed my life for good. And I'm happy about the changes. A simple smile can change someone else's life.

 

Are you ready to take the challenge? And see what good a smile can give you? If it does well, will you take into consideration adding a smile to your daily activities? You need to ask yourself these same questions in the end when you are done with the challenge.  

 

WHAT IS A SMILE? AND HOW IS A SMILE CONTAGIOUS?

 

“Smile more. Smiling can make you and others happy.” – Roy T. Bennett

Source: keepinspiring 

 

The smile of happiness to see your loved one even from afar. Mio fidanzato. 

Smile is not just about flexing and stretching the muscles on your face. The moment you hear the word ‘smile’ or see a smiling face, your mind processes it as a positive impression and expression. 

 

The Merriam Dictionary defines SMILE as a facial expression in which the eyes brighten, and the corners of the mount curve slightly upward and which expresses especially amusement, pleasure, approval, or sometimes scorn. 

 

The smiles associated with laughter. Photo by Nerissa Vernick

In the book How to Make Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (American Writer and Lecturer), he explains that smiling is one of the best ways to make a good impression. He also quoted that "action speaks louder than words, and a smile says, 'I like you. You make me happy. I am glad to see you.'

 

MSI Family with their smiles. Photo by David Kim

While in the Definitive Book of Body Language written by Barbara Pease and Allan Pease, discussed that the remarkable thing about a smile is that when you give it to someone, it causes them to reciprocate by returning the smile (even when you are both using fake smiles). That is explained by Professor Ruth Campbell, from University College London, she believes that the brain has a 'mirror neuron'. These mirror neurons trigger the part of the brain responsible for the facial expressions and recognitions and cause an instant mirroring reaction. In other words, smiling is an important body language repertoire, that automatically copies the facial expressions we see even if we don't feel like it. Smiling has an influence on other people's attitudes. 

 

The camera is like a mirror neuron. It is like a go signal that tells you to smile. Photo by Jess Arcita

With the mirror reaction, Pease and Pease concluded that "science has proved that the more you smile, the more positive reactions others will give you."

 

Thus, this explains why a smile is contagious. 

 

WHAT IS A GENUINE SMILE? IS IT SIMILAR TO DUCHENNE SMILE?

Genuine Smiles from these cuties. Photo by Nerissa Vernick. 

There are many kinds of smiles. But my favorite, which also possesses the real definition of a smile (to me), is a Genuine Smile. Genuine Smile is a facial expression that engages muscles around the mouth in an upward manner contracting muscles below your nose and crinkling the sides of your eyes. This is also called 'ear to ear smiles' or 'smiling with the eyes'

 

Genuine Smile is also dubbed as a Duchenne Smile - named after Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne, a French neurologist and also the founding father of electrotherapy. With his interest in the mechanics of facial expressions, he was able to discover 60 different facial expressions. And one of his observations became known as 'felt' or 'Duchenne' smile - associated with the genuine feelings of pleasures and happiness with twinkling eyes. 

 

BENEFITS OF A DAILY PRACTICING OF GENUINE SMILE

 

Did you know that Genuine Smile or Duchenne Smile is linked with many benefits?

 

1.) Smiling is a stress reliever and mood enhancer - When you are feeling blue, smiling is the best way to boost your mood. This is because every time you smile your pituitary gland secretes the hormones called endorphins, a group of the hormones responsible for making us feel happy. Endorphins also act as a natural pain reliever.  

 

Say "cheese" is always the go signal to Smile. The smile of friendship. Photo by Jenelyn Dolar 

A study by Yamamoto et al (2010) on the 'Effects of smiling manipulation on the negative cognitive process during self-focused attention' found the importance of smiling before and during the negative self-focused attention. Smiling or making yourself smile when you are depressed or feeling down helps improve your mood and increase positive thoughts.  

The smile of in love. Photo of Nica Mae Zaguirre

So when you are feeling low, just remember to smile!

 

2.) Smiling makes you live longer - I always hear this line and it has inspired me to smile every day, although I didn't know whether or not it was based on facts. Smiling at myself in the mirror to start the day indeed makes my day brighter. How about you do you smile to yourself at the mirror? I recommend you to do it often.

 

The smile of being with your grandchildren. Photo by Bernadeth Lopes

Scientifically speaking, this statement is correct. According to Abel and Kruger in their published journal entitled 'Smile Intensity in Photographs Predicts Longevity' at the Psychological Science of the Wayne StateUniversity in Michigan, people who frequently flash large smiles live an extra seven to ten years on average. While another study that was conducted at the London University College stated that people who are happy and cheerful are 35% more likely to live longer.

 

This alone is the very reason for you to smile!

 

3.) Smile enhances your natural beauty. I normally hear this phrase when someone saw a younger-looking in comparison to their age, especially for a woman, “what is your beauty secret?” One of the best answers I heard is ‘smiling’. I agree with this phrase as smiling alone can improve one’s natural beauty. Admit it or not, you know you are in your most beautiful form when you smile. So keep smiling!

 

It is always fun to be with your best friends. The smile of friendship. Photo by Rio Leal

4.) Smile builds better relationships - Have you noticed that when you smile often you attract people around you? That’s because a smile is contagious. It definitely affects and sets your mood and surroundings. The human brain (through its mirror neurons) has the capacity to reflect and copy the facial expression when you see them. So, when you smile at others, most probably, they will smile back at you.

 

The smile of being together for a long time. Photo by Coleen Bognot

According to Nagle et al. (2014) in their journal Gender, Smiling, and Witness Credibility in Actual Trials, smiling people are perceived as more likable than people who don't smile. Being likable means it is easier to build and maintain a better relationship with people.

 

Smile is always associated with having fun moments. Photo by Arvin Nario

In the study conducted by Ernest Abel and Michael Kruger titled Smile Intensity in Photographs PredictsLongevity (2010), they found that people with positive emotions have more stable marriages and better interpersonal skills than people with negative emotions.   

 

A smile can build a stronger relationship. The smile of love. Photo by Jonathan Lopes

So smile often and have positive thoughts to build better relationships. 

 

5.) Smile associated with laughter makes you look younger - Aside from the fact that a smile is a natural beauty enhancer, smiles, and laughter also have the ability to make you look younger. 

When you are happy, you tend to smile and laugh a lot, the Definitive Book of Body Language written by Barbara Pease and Allan Pease explained that "the older we become, the more serious we become about life. An adult laughs an average of 15 times a day; a preschooler laughs an average of 400 times." Thus, smile and laugh a lot to take years off you.  

Having fun with children is indeed great. The smile with laughter.

Smile associated with laughter. Having fun with your child is indeed one of the precious moments a parent can have for a lifetime. Photo of Bernadeth Lopes

OVERALL SUMMARY

 

A Smile a day keeps the stress away. I know that you knew this popular phrase. I took this line changing the word ‘apple’ to ‘smile’ and ‘doctor’ to ‘stress’. It is indeed very hard to do a simple smile when you have a tough job or when you are very busy and tired, or when you are downhearted and sad.

 

I first wrote an article about a smile for the promotion of a popular clear braces brand in the USA. As I made my research about SMILE, I came to realized that this kind of topic is to be shared not just to promote a brand.

 

So, I made this version to tell the world that, indeed, a smile is a simple act of charity not just for others but the benefit you can get out of it. A simple gesture has the capacity to touch the lives of other people. Most often you find the reason to genuinely smile when you are inspired; when you are happy; when you are with the people you love; when you are with your families and friends and so on and so forth. You yourself can tell exactly the reasons you smile and also the benefit of a smile to your lives.

 

This is just a glimpse of what smile is. There are lots of studies about a smile or smiling, its benefits, and how it impacts one’s life.

 

So, are you up for the challenge? Smiling often can perhaps change your life! SMILE!

 

Stay tuned for the next episode of ‘a simple act of charity'.

 

If you want me to write about some topics related to ‘simple act of charity’, you can comment below.

 

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Author's Note 

Thanks to the people who make me smile every day, my family (Nolie, my mom; Bernadeth Lopes & family; Nerissa Vernick & family; Benjamin & Arvin), my best friend (Rio), & dear friends (Rosemarie, Camille, Mikan, Katrina, Arrianne, & Hubert), to Guinucud Family, Auntie Auring & family, Sir Larry & Ma'am Emma Nucum, and to my Team (MSI), to the people who are close and dear to me (who weren't featured in this blog). 

Also, special thanks to mio bello e splendido fidanzato, Andrea (Andrew) Pisan, my inspiration who made me create an article on this topic - Smile. Felici quattro mesi di fidanzamento! 

And above all thank God for giving me always the wisdom I need.