Try Smiling! An Experiment That Might Surprise You
Do you want to be a happier person? Do you want to be around happier people? Try smiling more! You might be surprised by the results.
I was looking in the mirror the other day, and I wasn’t thrilled with what I saw.
For the most part, I feel like I have pretty good skin, probably thanks to my Finnish ancestors. My age is starting to catch up with me, though. There’s no denying it anymore. I’ve got wrinkles!
I’ve tried a few skin care products that promise to minimize wrinkles, with minimal results. I could keep trying more lotions and serums, but I don’t think I’d ever go to the extreme of getting a facelift or Botox injections. I’m not trying to look younger. I just don’t want to look old.
Here’s the amazing thing. When I try smiling at myself in the mirror, the wrinkles on the bottom half of my face go away.
I did notice the ones under my eyes bunched up more, but I guess that’s the tradeoff. Overall, though, I think I look younger and–dare I say it–more attractive when I smile. Bob agrees, and I think he does, too.
Smiling does a lot more for you than minimizing your wrinkles and making you look better. It actually makes you feel better.
There are many studies that have shown some pretty surprising physiological effects from smiling. It seems the simple act of smiling can improve your health, elevate your mood, and even have a positive effect on the people around you.
I think we’ve all had experiences where an encounter with an especially cheerful person changed our mood. I can think of many times when I was traveling and an upbeat flight attendant turned my trip from sour to enjoyable. Or a chance meeting with a smiling person in line at the grocery store caused me to walk out with a lighter step. Even watching a video of smiling babies makes me feel happier.
If you don’t believe the research, you should try smiling more and see for yourself.
Pick a day when you’ll be out and about so you can try it on the people you see. It might be an even better test if you start the day a little grumpy. The experiment is simple. Just smile at everyone you meet. (Try to make it look genuine–you don’t want to appear weird!) I’d bet good money your experience will be positive and you’ll see the difference a smile can make. What have you got to lose? Even if the experiment fails, you’ll probably look better.
Like the old song says, “When you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you.” But if you’re home alone and just want to test out my theory by yourself, here’s a one minute video to get you started.