In 1872 in
the book, The Expression of the Emotions
in Man and Animals, the great biologist Charles Darwin hypothesised that
our facial expressions might actually affect our mood. He called this the
‘facial feedback’ hypothesis. Whilst this hypothesis was largely dismissed at
the time, since then, several researchers have tested this theory and it seems
Darwin may have been correct.
Dr Michael
Lewis, a psychologist at Cardiff University, says that ‘simply using the same
muscles as smiling will put you in a happier mood’. This suggests that the
smile doesn’t even have to be genuine to provide benefit. But why is this so?
‘It would
appear that the way we feel emotions isn’t just restricted to our brain – there
are parts of our bodies that help and reinforce the feelings we’re having… it’s
like a feedback loop,’ says Dr Michael Lewis.
Essentially
it seems that one of the ways the brain evaluates our current mood, is through
the feedback received from which facial muscles we are using. Frowning sends a
message to the brain that you are unhappy, alternatively smiling sends a
message that you are happy; whichever facial muscles you are using amplifies
the experience of that emotion.
In a study
published in May 2008 in the Journal of Pain, people who frowned during an
unpleasant procedure reported feeling more pain than those who did not frown.
Interesting isn’t it?
Facial
coding expert Paul Ekman experimented with facial expressions and found that
mood seemed to be altered by facial expression. His research in 1990 found that
a full smile which involved facial muscles around the eyes, produced a change
in brain activity that corresponded with experiencing a happier mood.
More
recently, researchers Tara Kraft and Sarah Pressman conducted a study where
they had subjects hold chopsticks in their mouth in different configurations,
to form smiles and neutral expressions. Some assumed ‘genuine’ smiles, others
‘fake’ smiles. The study found that all subjects who smiled (real or otherwise)
exhibited lower heart rate levels after completing a stressful task compared to
subjects who assumed a neutral facial expression.
Whilst it is
not yet thoroughly understood how facial expression alters mood, the research
certainly does seem to suggest a clear relationship between the two.
So what are
some of the benefits of smiling?
- Smiles are contagious. We have something called ‘mirror neurons’, these neurons provide a synchronizing function, that is, they can activate the same region of our brain that has been activated in the brain of the person with whom we are interacting. So when you see someone smiling, your mirror neurons will stimulate a sensation within your own mind that is associated with smiling, and eventually you smile yourself. This occurs pretty quickly and without effort, hence smiles are contagious. Offering a smile to others means that you are in effect, spreading your smile around – those people will smile at you in return which will reinforce your own smile and it feels good to be around a whole bunch of smiling individuals.
- Improved Interpersonal
Relationships.
When you offer a smile to another, they are more likely to respond to you
in a positive manner, and because you are smiling, you are more likely to
communicate with them in a kind and positive manner. Win-win!
- Cardiovascular Health. Smiling has been shown to
temporarily reduce blood pressure, slow down the heart rate and relax the
body.
- Reduced Stress/ Better
Mood. Smiling
increases activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, you need to be
in parasympathetic dominance to experience rest, relaxation, digestion,
and repair. Smiling also stimulates the release of endorphins, those feel
good hormones that are associated with experiencing a sense of well-being,
happiness and feeling good.
- Reduced Pain. Those wonderful endorphins which
are released when we smile actually reduce our perception of pain.
- Greater Success. People who smile appear more
attractive, confident, approachable and successful than those who do not.
- Strong Immune System. Smiling reduces the experience
of feeling stressed, which lessens one’s exposure to stress hormones.
Chronic stress is associated with reduced immune function; by reducing the
experience of stress, smiling supports a strong and robust immune system.
Now of
course these are only a few of the benefits of regular smiling; real or
otherwise. Don’t just take my word for it. Try it out for yourself right now if
you please. That’s right, put a big eye wrinkling smile on your face right now,
not a grimace, but a smile and take a moment to see how that feels. Feels good
doesn’t it….. Do that more often J
Further Reading
- Darwin, C. (1965). The
expression of the emotions in man and animals. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press. (Original work published 1872)
- http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/smiling-during-stress-may-help-the-heart.html
- http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/45697-treating-laughter-lines-leaves-patients-feeling-more-depressed
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12738341
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facial_feedback_hypothesis
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_neuron
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