Smiling is one of our fundamental social skills. When we smile, we create a connection that is human to human. It doesn’t matter if we are rich or poor, of a different culture, religion, or country; we will reciprocate a smile as a human.
The science behind the reciprocation of a feel-good smile was done by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, finding:
“When people simulate a perceived facial expression, they partially activate the corresponding emotional state in themselves, which provides a basis for inferring the underlying emotion of the expresser.” [Trends in cognitive science]
What this means is, we have the potential to spread happiness just by smiling! Thankfully; wearing a face mask does not diminish the effectiveness of smiling but instead increases the opportunity to experience happiness.
When in a smile position, the muscles in our face send a signal to our brain to trigger our happy hormones or endorphins. The brain doesn’t know what is making us smile – it only knows it’s a good thing, and we should do more of it.
We can’t control what is happening in our world, and perhaps “smiley” is not something we are feeling right now. But it’s good to know that by wearing a smile with our face mask, we can create happiness in our life, improve mental and physical health.
Let’s smile today with health and fitness WELLth, access your 9 Minute Fitness Program with the link below.
Live well with Health and WELLth!
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