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Have you ever been drenched in sweat before a big presentation or felt your heart shoot up after a social interaction? These may already be symptoms of anxiety. This mental illness affects an estimated 40 million Americans aged 18 and older every year. So, you’re definitely not alone. But it’s a debilitating condition that could negatively impact your daily life. Among the many methods to treat anxiety, one surprising technique stands out—smiling. Interestingly, the benefits of smiling can be effective in easing your worries and improving your overall mental health. This piece discusses the science behind a smile and its impact on anxiety. Read on to learn how to incorporate it into your regular anxiety management routine, too.
The Power of a Smile
Multiple studies have shown the inherent connection between the mind and the body. What affects you mentally will also affect you, and vice versa. This is where facial expressions come in. For example, frowning, even when done forcefully, can quickly turn your mood sour, especially when you look at yourself in the mirror.
My dentist told me that having a clean and even set of teeth can boost self-confidence, which may be why grinning potentially reduces feelings of anxiety. When you regularly visit your dentist—whether for scheduled cleaning, dental health, or cosmetic reasons—you’re ensuring your teeth are in excellent health and condition, leading to higher morale when you smile.
Smiles, surprisingly, come in ten different forms. These are:
- Genuine smile or Duchenne smile
- Reward smile
- Polite smile
- Flirtatious smile
- Affiliative smile
- Embarrassed smile
- Dominance smile
- Wistful smile
- Pan Am smile
- Lying smile
Some types are naturally occurring, while others are forced or faked. To help manage your anxiety symptoms, you should ideally aim for the Duchenne smile. It’s known as the smile of pure enjoyment because it involves not only your mouth but your eyes, too.
One study, which involved putting a set of participants in an ostracized group, revealed that those who had Duchenne smiles felt more positive emotions afterward. It shows that genuine grins have the potential to help people regulate negative emotions even when facing exclusion.
Understanding the Connection Between Smiles and Anxiety
Anxiety is more than just feeling stressed about an impending event. It’s a constant feeling of worry and unease that can manifest in physical symptoms like a racing heart, shortness of breath, and muscle tension.
Psychologically, anxiety shows up as negative thoughts, catastrophizing situations, and avoidance behaviors. Unlike normal stress, which is usually triggered by a specific event and fades over time, anxiety can be persistent and interfere with your daily life.
Thankfully, there are established methods to manage anxiety, such as:
- Therapy
- Medication
- Exercise
- Relaxation techniques
But how does smiling fit into this toolbox? It all has to do with the mind-body connection. People’s emotions and physical states are intertwined, with research suggesting that facial expressions can influence emotions, not just reflect them. Smiling, even if forced, can trigger the release of neuropeptides that lower stress hormones and promote feelings of well-being.
So, smiling disrupts the anxiety cycle by sending calming signals to your body and brain. It’s a simple yet powerful tool you can use alongside other proven anxiety management techniques.
Additional Benefits of Smiling
Smiling is more than just a facial expression. It’s a powerful tool that can positively impact both your physical and mental health. But how? Well, we know that smiling releases endorphins, our body’s natural feel-good chemicals, which can instantly boost our mood and reduce stress levels. Additionally, smiling is contagious, spreading positivity to those around us and fostering better social connections and relationships. Research also suggests that smiling can lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, and even improve heart health.
Here are some other common benefits of smiling:
- Improve mood
- Increase feelings of happiness
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Improve relationships
- Stronger physical health
- Relieve pain
- Enhance attractiveness
- Boost confidence
- Longevity
Tips for Grinning Your Way to Calm
Now that you know a little bit about the science of smiles, you can incorporate more genuine grinning into your daily life. Check out these practical tips to put your smile to good use and lose those feelings of anxiety:
- Smiling Exercises
Like any other muscle in your body, your mouth benefits from regular exercise. Here’s a simple routine that can help you smile more naturally often: hold a wide smile for about 10 seconds, then release. Repeat this exercise 5-10 times to strengthen your smile muscles. With consistency, you’ll soon find it easier to flash a genuine grin.
But take care not to force yourself to smile all day. Researchers found out through service workers that habitually forced grinning may lead to negative results, like heavy drinking after work. Just take a few minutes daily to wear a smile and allow yourself to feel other emotions naturally.
- Prompts and reminders
Sometimes, the harsh realities of life may put a damper on your mood, making you forget to smile at the little things that brighten your day.
To counter that, set reminders for yourself to grin once in a while. You can do this by setting alarms on your phone or leaving colorful sticky notes around your home. Seeing those prompts to smile pop up regularly will help shift your mood and combat anxiety.
- Situational smiling
While it’s not appropriate to smile everywhere, there are specific situations where a good, conscious grin can aid you and your mental health. For instance, before starting your presentation, take a deep breath and hold your smile for a few seconds, even if you have to force it. Doing this will mentally prepare you for the challenge ahead.
Another example would be to smile when participating in social interactions. A natural, genuine smile shows others that you’re approachable, which puts them and you at ease. If you’re feeling overwhelmed due to various stressors, grinning can send a signal to your brain to calm down.
Beyond the Smile: A Holistic Approach
Anxiety is a complex mental condition that isn’t treated using only one approach. Smiling is simply one of the many ways to help reduce those feelings. Why not also add laughter therapy to your anxiety management toolkit? Thirty-one studies agree that it showed significant positive effects on mental health.
However, if you’re dealing with chronic anxiety, it’s best to consult a mental health professional to find suitable methods for your unique situation. They may add smiling as one of the tools alongside therapy, relaxation exercises, grounding techniques, and mindfulness to combat your anxiety.
Conclusion
Who knew that something as simple as smiling could have a significant impact? A genuine grin may keep your anxious feelings at bay, even for just a few moments. Practice smiling widely and set personal reminders to smile throughout both your hectic and slow days.
However, remember that it’s not the only solution. Smiling can ease your worries to a degree, but you might still need professional help to manage your anxiety properly. Seek a reputable anxiety specialist, care for your dental health, and try to smile more often. You never know how much this simple act could help you to go through the toughest times.
