Smiles are FREE
At what COST?
“According to a recent study by the University of Freiburg, though, the answer to whether she is “sad” or “happy” is simple: her expression is unequivocally “happy”.”
Have you ever noticed how an unexpected smile can turn around your whole day? Maybe you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and you find yourself grousing through the day when a smile from a stranger catches you by surprise and makes you smile right back. Suddenly your mood lifts, your spirits brighten, and now you have a smile to give to someone else. Smiles are nature's little shots of happiness, a "to-go bag" of friendship, and the international expression of hope in humankind.
There are all kinds of smiles, kid smiles, grown-up smiles, smiles from the animal kingdom, toothy grins, sly smiles, smiles that will melt your heart.
There are famous sayings about smiles, all testify to the contagious nature of the most effortless facial expression to make. But wait, what if the smile wasn't happy? Is it still infectious? Alas, yes, it is. Ergo be cautious about the smiles you receive and put out there. Remind yourself to share and sustain your beautiful smile.
“I will never understand all the good that a simple smile can accomplish.”
THE HAPPY SMILE
Smiling is universal. It's a sign of happiness, joy, content, and peace recognized by men, women, and children all around the globe. But the simple act of smiling does much more than just express emotions.
Happiness and smiles go hand in hand like cold vanilla ice cream on a warm slice of apple pie. There is a bevy of interesting facts about smiling. Let's highlight a few and their benefits.
1. Smiling Makes You Happier
In the Grin and Bear It study, participants were instructed to force a smile by holding chopsticks in their mouths during stressful activities, while others were encouraged not to. The ones who forced their smile recovered from these stressful activities swiftly, with their heart rates beating slower than those who didn't. One can argue that if you force yourself to smile when feeling sad, you may improve your mood.
2. Children Smile More
It's no secret that children laugh and play a lot, but children tend to smile a lot more when compared to their parents. That's no hyperbole, either.
In an article published by Forbes, children tend to smile up to 400 times a day, compared to adults who smile less than 20 times a day.
3. Smiling Can Improve Your Health
Smiling and laughing do a body good. Some say that it can even extend your life by up to seven years. How? Well, smiling:
Relaxes the body – This boosts up your immune system, vital for fighting off sickness.
Reduces pain – Smiling releases endorphins that act as a natural painkiller.
Lowers heart rate – Smiling minimizes the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
Improves mental health – Smiling retrains the brain into thinking more on the positive side.
Makes blood cells more efficient – Smiling reduces risks of cancer and other serious issues.
And, of course, smiling just feels good.
4. A Bright Smile Can Get You Promoted
Even when faking it a bit, smiling can improve your mood and is a sign of confidence – something that can go a long way in your 9 to 5.
In another article published by Forbes, happy employees perform better, are more productive, and have improved energy. All great traits to foster in a work environment. When these three improve, you're more likely to have better reviews, which leads to more promotions and potentially higher income.
Sometimes, a happy smile is all you need to feel better.
THE MYSTERIOUS SMILE
So what is a mysterious smile? A mysterious smile is, characterized by or indicative of a conundrum. A smile that eludes puzzled curiosity or appears enigmatic. Hence the Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo Da Vinci was incredibly mystifying due to her obscure smile.
According to a recent study by the University of Freiburg, though, the answer to whether she is "sad" or "happy" is simple: her expression is unequivocally "happy."
On the other hand,
A research team that includes a University of Cincinnati (UC) neurologist now says that her smile was non-genuine because of its asymmetry.
"Our results indicate that happiness is expressed only on the left side. According to some influential theories of emotion neuropsychology, we here interpreted the Mona Lisa asymmetric smile as a none genuine smile, also thought to occur when the subject lies," the authors write in their study published recently in the April 2019 issue of the journal Cortex. Luca Marsili, MD, Ph.D., an instructor in neurology and rehabilitation medicine at the UC College of Medicine.
While the Mona Lisa smile continues to attract the attention of its observers, the valid message it conveys remains elusive, and many mysteries remain to be elucidated, perhaps via the knowledge of emotion neuropsychology.
So next time you take a picture, be sure it's symmetrical ;p
THE ANGRY SMILE
The Angry Smile comes from Passive-Aggressive Behavior. It’s when children or children now adults never learned how to communicate their anger verbally and instead were shown by mirroring the behavior of their parents or caretakers by emotionally expressing it through passive-aggressive behavior.
1. Know what you are dealing with
Verbally denying feelings of anger (“I’m fine. Whatever!”)
Verbally complying but behaviorally delaying (“I’ll clean my room after soccer.”)
Shutting down conversations ("Fine" and "Whatever")
Intentional inefficiency (“I did make my bed. I didn’t know you meant I had to pull up all of the blankets!”)
“Forgetting” or “misplacing” important items (“I don’t know where your car keys are.”)
Avoiding responsibility for tasks (“I didn’t know you wanted me to do it. Putting away the clean dishes is his chore!”)
2. Don't act out the passive-aggressive person's anger
Passive-aggressive people master the art of concealing their anger and getting unsuspecting others to act it out for them. Some targets of passive aggression respond with an outburst of anger and frustration—yelling, finger-wagging, threatening punishment—then feel guilty and embarrassed for having lost control
3. Say yes to anger
Anger is a fundamental, spontaneous, neurophysiological part of the human condition. As such, it is neither good nor bad. It just is. Too often, people are held to an unrealistic social standard about what it takes to be “good.” From a very early age, they begin to associate holding angry feelings with being wrong. When people learn to say “yes” to the presence of anger and “no” to the expression of anger through aggressive or passive-aggressive behaviors, they build a foundation for lifelong emotional intelligence and strong relationships.
4. Be the change you want to see.
Each time passive-aggressive behavior is answered with a mirrored counter passive-aggressive response, the hidden means of expressing anger is reinforced, and an opportunity for direct emotional expression is lost. On the other hand, each time passive-aggressive behavior is confronted directly and assertively, the hidden anger is weakened. The most effective way to learn to acknowledge and accept angry feelings is to role model assertive communication for them daily.
5. Allow it! Tolerate it! Encourage it, even!
The final essential angle to confronting passive-aggressive behavior is our willingness to receive anger when others test out their new voice. If you guide others to be more open and direct with anger, you must also be willing to accept anger when expressed appropriately. For many, this is not easy. But for lasting change to take hold, they must know that the assertive expression of their anger will be tolerated, respected, and even honored.
source: The Angry Smile written by Signe Whitson
THE MISCHIEVOUS Vindictive SMILE
Vindictive smiles showing the malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite. "a despiteful friend"; "a truly spiteful child"; or "a vindictive man will look for occasions for resentment."
A vindictive person has misguided pain. They feel frustrated, helpless, hurt, or ignored and cannot change their circumstances without ensuring that they affect others in the meantime. They don't have the necessary strength inside to find better ways to handle their feelings.
How do you deal with mischievous vindictive people?
Remember, you cannot control another person's actions, but you can manage your reaction. Do not continue to react in ways that encourage the behavior. Do not say, get angry, emotional, or become overly accommodating to avoid negative feelings. Instead, work on remaining calm and emotionally disengaging.
“Tears flow when people are overwhelmed with strong positive emotions and people who do this seem to recover better from those strong emotions.”
THE CRYING SMILE
"Tears flow when people are overwhelmed with strong positive emotions and people who do this seem to recover better from those strong emotions," said psychologist Oriana Aragon at Yale University in the US.
"People restore emotional equilibrium with these expressions," she added.
Aragon and her colleagues at Yale ran participants through some emotional scenarios such as cute babies or a crying spouse who is reunited with her soldier husband returning from war and measured their responses.
They found that individuals who expressed adverse reactions to positive news could moderate intense emotions more quickly. So remember, next time you feel good, it’s more than okay to drop tears of joy.
THE SAD SMILE
The 'miserable smile' is a stoical grin-and-bear-it expression – a slight, asymmetric smile with an expression of profound sadness pasted over the top. ... It's a socially acceptable way of showing that you're sad or in pain.
You can notice it because it is a facial expression characterized by an upturning of the corners of the mouth, usually showing amusement, friendliness, but sometimes scorn.
Sometimes low levels of dopamine are also associated with depression. A genuine smile can aid because it will release oxytocin and trick your brain into thinking it's happy. You are combating the dopamine level. The facial muscles can control the brain to alter emotions. Let that sink in.
Next time you are sad, just fake a smile, and you will forget why you were that sad. (trust me, it's been tried and tested many times. Unfortunately and fortunately, I suppose.)
THE ATTRACTIVE SMILE
The 'Sideways Look Up' Smile: Both men and women will love you. This type of smile is considered the most attractive to both men and women. For men, it evokes masculine feelings of protection while women will naturally feel warmth towards you.
Let loose and smile freely. My teeth are not nearly perfect. I longed for braces, but for always one reason or another, it was not destined (a blog for another time). I am currently suffering from severe teeth/mouth/jaw/neck pain for the past six months and ongoing. However, if you’ve been following my social media, you will see I always smile 'sideways look up,' even if it physically hurts.
If I can do it, so can you!
"You're never fully dressed without a smile."