Smiling More, Even If It’s Unwilling, Also Makes Us Happy

Smiling more is one of the points  that many have written down on their list of purposes ; however, its achievement is more complex than we think. Sometimes we have to do it reluctantly, supporting a hypothesis: being happy makes us smile, in the same way that smiling makes us happier.

The theory on which this premise is based determines that our way of communicating with our body affects us emotionally. If we tend to adopt a downcast posture and a melancholic gesture, it is very likely that we also adopt that state of mind. Therefore, we can say that our non-verbal communication has “side effects” on us.

The functions of the smile

The smile is a universal gesture, which means that it is shared by the whole of humanity. The funny thing is that it does not only serve us to show that we are happy or content. There are, in fact, three types of smile:

• Smile of happiness: it is the best known. It helps us to communicate our happiness, to show the world that we are happy and we feel pleased or fulfilled.
• “Social” smile: this kind of smile does not mean happiness, but is used to convey security to those around us. With this smile we are communicating that we are trustworthy, that others have nothing to fear; It is a smile that we use on the street, in line at the supermarket … with people we do not know.
• Smile of superiority: with it, we want to convey arrogance and give ourselves importance in front of others. It is a proof of pride and also the manifestation of an idea in which we believe in that moment: we are above those around us.

Smiling more causes happiness

Although it is hard to believe, adopting a relaxed and happy posture makes us feel, precisely, relaxed and happy. Hence, smiling more helps us savor happiness. There is a study, carried out in the 80s by Fritz Strack, that shows it:

In the study, two groups of people were exposed to comic strips that they had to read with a pencil in their mouth. This pencil stimulated the zygomaticus major muscle, which causes the raised cheekbones characteristic of a smile.

The group with the pencil proved to be more sensitive to humorous content than the group that did not have the pencil, so it was concluded that replicating the smile gesture in a physiological way favors a positive state of mind.

In this way, a highly influential theory in psychology was developed, which held that gesture led to emotion. Like, as already known, the emotion produces the gesture.

Controversy related to Strack’s study

However, after this first study, others were developed that tried to replicate the result. Unfortunately, none of them have obtained such clear results, so the idea is currently being questioned. There is no modern experiment that strongly supports the results of Strack’s study.

In fact, if we replicate the experiment at home, in front of a mirror, another well-known phenomenon is likely to intervene, this time frequently tested: the placebo effect. Thanks to this curious effect, we are able to experience results with processes, medications or treatments that lack active ingredients or real efficacy.

Real exercises to provoke a smile (and happiness)

Faced with this situation, it is worth asking ourselves if there really are exercises to smile more to be happier. Professor Laurie Santos, from Yale University, shows us this with the most popular course in the entire history of that university. In his course How to be happy , he describes 5 daily actions if we want to increase our subjective state of happiness:

1. Gratitude list

Several times a week, if not every night, we will  write in a notebook or notebook what we are grateful for. We can do this by answering the following questions: what do we have that makes us happy and / or to whom we appreciate their presence in our life.

2. Quality sleep

It is not about sleeping a lot, but about sleeping effectively. With age, sleeping eight hours a day practically becomes a utopia. It seems that with age we need to sleep less and we also have more problems that make the task of falling asleep more difficult.

However, we all know the benefits of a good rest. Thus, for example, it contributes  to the proper functioning of our hormonal system, which in turn affects vital functions such as metabolism, digestion or concentration.

3. Meditation

With just 10 minutes of daily meditation, our mood will improve. The effectiveness of this practice is more than proven. It also has an amazing quality: its practice improves mindfulness.

4. Time with loved ones

Spending time with the people we want helps us to relax, to forget about obligations and, ultimately, to be happier. This is because social connections and interpersonal relationships are related to moments of happiness : vacations, parties, celebrations, games …

5. Reduce time on social networks

Inevitably, spending more time with your loved ones means spending less time on other forms of communication. An example: when we exchange messages using screens.

It is true that social networks have provided us with a multitude of benefits, but not without “real relationships” paying a price. Let’s think that in terms of the subjective perception of our quality of life, the real connections are much more important. Because a happy smile is worth little if it is not to share it beyond an emoticon.

And finally, don’t forget to smile more!