The bottom line is, no matter why or how you do it, there are countless benefits to smiling, especially when it comes to your health. In fact, studies have shown that smiling can help you live better—happier—longer.
Smiling players lived on average EIGHT years longer than their more stoic counterparts. Another study out of the London University College found that happy, cheerful people were 35% more likely to live longer.
Happy people don't just enjoy life; they're likely to live longer, too. A new study has found that those in better moods were 35% less likely to die in the next 5 years when taking their life situations into account.
A smile costs nothing. But, it can add at least seven years to your life, says a new study.
When you smile, your brain releases tiny molecules called neuropeptides to help fight off stress. Then other neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and endorphins come into play too. The endorphins act as a mild pain reliever, whereas the serotonin is an antidepressant.
Smiling not only offers a mood boost but helps our bodies release cortisol and endorphins that provide numerous health benefits, including: Reduced blood pressure. Increased endurance.
The 'miserable smile' is a stoical grin-and-bear-it expression – a slight, asymmetric smile with an expression of deep sadness pasted over the top.
In one large study from the Brookings Institute, for example, scientists found happiness was high for 18- to 21-year-olds and then dropped steadily until about age 40. But past middle age, the pattern began to reverse—gradually climbing back up to its highest point at age 98!
Although many people have heard that smiling uses fewer facial muscles than frowning, it is only fairly recently that research has actually proven this to be true. Those who spend more time smiling have been shown to develop fewer facial wrinkles than those who are stressed and frown a lot.
It can reduce stress, help heart health, lower blood pressure, and boost your immune system by decreasing cortisol in the body. A simple smile, genuine or even forced, prompts the brain to produce endorphins and serotonin, causing positive emotions.
Studies show that people who actively help and support others, be it family members, friends, or those in the community, might actually be more likely to live longer.
A dramatic fall in life expectancy
With rare exceptions, life expectancy has been on the rise in the US: it was 47 years in 1900, 68 years in 1950, and by 2019 it had risen to nearly 79 years. But it fell to 77 in 2020 and dropped further, to just over 76, in 2021.
Plenty of research suggests optimistic people have a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and declines in lung capacity and function. Optimism is also associated with a lower risk of early death from cancer and infection.
Smiling Ages You, Says 2017 Study
But researchers were shocked to find that the results were actually the opposite: The smiling faces were, on average, perceived as being around two years older than those same faces in neutral expressions.
According to a recent study published in the journal Experimental Psychology, researchers found smiling — even a fake smile — can have a positive impact on mood. Essentially, triggering certain facial muscles by smiling can "trick" your brain into thinking you're happy.
The Heart Health Benefits of Smiling
Smiling triggers the release of feel-good chemicals in your brain, such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. As such, studies show that smiling reduces stress, promotes relaxation, and lowers blood pressure, which all work to protect the wellbeing of your heart.
Ultraviolet (UV) light and exposure to sunlight age your skin more quickly than it would age naturally. The result is called photoaging, and it's responsible for 90% of visible changes to your skin. UV light damages skin cells, contributing to premature changes like age spots.
Over time, wrinkles form. "If someone chose not to smile, they may have skin that looks more youthful, despite possibly looking joyless," Dr. Robert Anolik, fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology said in an email. "In the near term, there would be no deep lines forming at the crow's feet area.
Findings from a few studies suggest that eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables may help prevent damage that leads to premature skin aging. Findings from research studies also suggest that a diet containing lots of sugar or other refined carbohydrates can accelerate aging. Drink less alcohol.
The 20s...it's the phase where so many things change in our lives and it all happens so fast. There's angst, discovery, unpredictability and a sense of self-realization. It's the time we truly leave childhood behind and enter a whole new world of responsibility.
According to Janet's theory, half of your perceived life is already over at age seven. Of course, that doesn't account for your first few years, which are often impossible to remember. Adjusting for that, then your perceived life is about half over at 18.
Crudely speaking, you may conclude that you are at your sexual peak in your 20s, your physical peak in your 30s, your mental peak in your 40s and 50s and at your happiest in your 60s – but these are just averages, so your own trajectories may follow very different paths.
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe ghost of a smile/sound etcthe ghost of a smile/sound etc a smile etc that is so slight you are not sure it happened The ghost of a smile flitted across her sad features.
adjective. a lazy movement or smile is slow and relaxed.
Broadly speaking, there are three kinds of smiles: smiles of reward, smiles of affiliation, and smiles of dominance. A smile may be among the most instinctive and simple of expressions — just the hoisting of a couple of facial muscles.