12 benefits of smiling (psychological and social)

Dental clinic ads constantly remind us to have a beautiful smile. But the benefits of a smile go far beyond what refers to physical appearance.

Although having a sense of humor helps us connect with others, have a greater connection with other individuals, cope with stress and even improves memory as we explain in our article “The 9 benefits of having a sense of humor”, the smile, as a visible part of our face and at the same time pleasant, also brings a series of psychological, social and health benefits.

In this article we will delve into these benefits and delve into why we should smile whenever we can.

What are the benefits of smiling

Smiling can seem like an involuntary response to something that we find funny or makes us feel good; However, it is much more than that. We all smile several times a day, something that is closely related to happiness. Surely you have noticed that when another person smiles, their expression is much more pleasant and inspires more confidence.

Surely you remember those people who always have a smile on their face, something that makes them look younger. But,

Have you ever considered what benefits a smile brings? In the following lines of this article you can find the answers to this question.

1. It is associated with charisma

The smile has a great power of attraction towards the people around us. In fact, you will surely remember those individuals who show a big smile better, because you will perceive them as closer, more pleasant and this makes you trust them more. That is why people who tend to smile more often are often seen as more charismatic.

In addition, charismatic people have a number of traits and carry out characteristic habits.

• If you want to know more about this, you can read our article: “Charismatic Personality: 14 Traits and Habits”

2. Inspire greater confidence

Scientific studies have proven that when the people we interact with smile genuinely, we trust them more. Trust is an important part of interpersonal relationships, whether they are loved ones, simple acquaintances or people we meet for the first time. Smiling attracts our surroundings and allows us to create a closer connection with the other person.

3. Increase credibility

The smile is also a useful communication resource if what we want is to increase our image of credibility.; however, when it does not fit the context it can produce the opposite effect. According to research from the University of Pittsburgh, people who smile more are not only more trustworthy, they present a more believable image.

4. makes you more accessible

Confidence causes us to be more accessible people, which improves our interpersonal relationships. According to scientific studies, people are more willing to engage socially with other people if they smilen. A smile has a great power of attraction, and this facial expression makes other people feel comfortable with us. Facilitates communication.

5. It is contagious

Scientific studies have found evidence that smiling is contagious, so it is necessary in relationships with others. This has to do with mirror neurons, which are key in learning, especially in the case of modeling. Smiling, therefore, can make other people smile, which makes them also benefit from the points made in this article.

6. Releases substances related to pleasure

The smile seems to be important to activate some brain areas related to pleasant behaviors, as is the case of ventral tegmental area. The ventral tegmental area has been key to the survival of the species, since it helps to repeat behaviors that are pleasant to us. This is mainly due to substances such as endorphins, which are natural pain relievers.

7. increases happiness

A much-discussed theory, known as the facial feedback hypothesis, states that smiling is key to increasing happiness. This is given because it stimulates the brain and also releases endorphins and facilitates the synthesis of other substances related to happiness such as serotonin.

8. relax

According to the above theory, smiling causes the body to feel calmer and more relaxed. This helps release tension from the body and also lowers blood pressure. In this sense, some sources seem to conclude that people who smile more are less likely to suffer a heart attack or other cardiovascular problems.

9. Increases life expectancy

Scientific studies have also found a relationship between smile and life expectancy. An investigation carried out by the Wayne State University of Michigan (United States), in 2010, affirms that people who smile more live longer. Other studies claim that smiling makes us look younger.

10. makes you feel less stressed

Smiling could indirectly contribute to reducing stress levels. As mentioned before, it could activate the brain regions related to pleasure and, likewise, it would help to synthesize chemicals of happiness. This can be a great resource in stressful situations.

11. makes you more attractive

Without a doubt, the smile makes us more attractive. If one of the previous points referred to smiling as a key trait of charismatic people, it also favors physical attractiveness.

12. It's free

In a world where almost everything costs money, smiling is free. So you can smile all you want and benefit from the above points without incurring an expense for your economy. There is no excuse not to smile.