How good are you at smiling?

Have you ever stood in front of a mirror and practiced your smile?  

 

Have you ever been taught how to smile?  

 

And, honestly, how important is it anyway? 

 

My answers: Yes. No. Extremely. 

 

My thesis begins here. 

 

Smiling is universal. There’s no language barrier. You give up your seat on the bus for a stranger, and they smile. And you return the favor. No words need be spoken. Just a wave of the hand, and a smile completes the circle. And you feel better for it. 

 

The link between smiling and emotion has raged for years – says social psychology researcher Nick Coles, who maintains, “The debate has been ongoing for at least 100 years – since the dawn of psychology.”  

 

The voluminous research, though clearly not definitive, leans on the side of yes, that biologically, smiling is a two-way street. When we feel good, we smile; but it also works the other way. If we smile, we feel good. 

 

I read about this seemingly strange phenomenon some years ago, so I tried it: I decided to smile, then hold it, for more than a moment – strangely, and unexpectedly, I felt better. 

 

Ask Google the question: “Is smiling good for you?” and you’ll come across a bevy of benefits – some physical (longevity), some personal (attractiveness, trustworthy), some professional (confidence). One study linked smiling to “relationship longevity,” a term that I’d never come across, but I seem to get the idea.

 

SMILE YOUR WAY TO HAPPINESS?

 

The literature on “facial feedback theory” is far from conclusive, and several landmark studies have been hard to replicate. But, as Maanvi Singh points out, in a piece for npr.com: “The notion that you can smile your way to happiness is an enduring one.”  

 

Singh goes on to say: “After crunching all the numbers, the researchers say their results suggest that if 100 people smiled –  all else equal among them – only about seven might expect to feel happier than if they hadn’t smiled.”

 

Granted, 7% is on the low side; nonetheless, I’m a believer. I find that, even if it’s not consistently raising my mood, it will certainly raise the mood of others (one study reported that facial expressions of human robots drew positive responses from patients in a hospital). 

 

So I’m now practicing, from time to time, with the tips below. And I’m learning about the zygomaticus muscle and about “smizing” (the zygomaticus major muscle starts at the cheekbone and causes the corners of a person’s mouth to rise when they smile; smizing is a term coined by Tyra Banks – it means “smile with the eyes”). And

I’m learning that smiling releases “happy chemicals” – endorphins, dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. 

 

Should we smile when meeting strangers? Certainly.  

 

How about when interviewing for a serious job? Perhaps not. 

 

Should we smile for our headshot? Says photographer Dan Gray: “Research suggests smiling in headshots increases attractiveness and perceptions of competence. …One trick I use is to ask my headshot subjects to laugh rather than smile, as it’s more reliable at activating those cheek muscles.”

 

TIPS

 

Alas, some tips, from Logan Hailey, in a piece for scienceofpeople.com: 

 

● “Before the photo, take a moment to inhale and exhale through your nose deeply;

 

● “Move around, and shake your arms and shoulders to loosen your muscles;

 

● “Exercise your facial muscles with a few exaggerated expressions like raising your eyebrows or tightening and then relaxing the jaw with some goofy faces;

 

● “Look away from the camera a few moments before the click;

 

● “Use the tips above to think of something joyful;

 

● “Then, turn your head towards the camera, but look at the person behind it; 

 

● “Try to smile symmetrically with your whole face (a sideways smile can accidentally show contempt rather than happiness);

 

● “Touch the tip of your tongue lightly on the back of your teeth; and 

 

● “Don’t say ‘cheese’.”

 

Oh my, I’ve been saying cheese all this time. Next time, I’ll think of something funny.