A Reason to Smile

Not so long ago I posted about the importance of being grateful and how much that can benefit our health.

Well, today I’m here to tell you another simple yet important way to better your health: SMILE.

According to this article there are several personal benefits to smiling.

*Be Happy, Fight Illness Better: People who are optimistic (and these are the people who are out there smiling!) have stronger immune systems and are actually able to fight off illness better than pessimists. “There is a link between optimistic attitudes and good health. It has been measured in a variety of ways. Overall, we have found that optimistic people are healthier. Their biological makeup is different. They have a more robust immune system." Another indication is that happy people tend to take care of themselves more, which often leads to good health.

*Smile: You’ll Live Longer: According to a study published in the November 2004 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, elderly optimistic people, those who expected good things to happen (rather than bad things), were less likely to die than pessimists. In fact, among the 65- to 85-year-old study participants, those who were most optimistic were 55 percent less likely to die from all causes than the most pessimistic people.

*Smiling Feels Like Eating 2,000 Chocolate Bars: According to The British Dental Health Foundation, a smile gives the same level of stimulation as eating 2,000 chocolate bars. The results were found after researchers measured brain and heart activity in volunteers as they were shown pictures of smiling people and given money and chocolate. Dr. Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Foundation, pointed out, "We have long been drawing attention to the fact that smiling increases happiness both in yourself and those around you, so it is good to receive the backing of this scientific research…”

*Smiling is Contagious: What's even better is that the more you smile, the more others will too. Says psychologist Dr. David Lewis, "Seeing a smile creates what is termed as a 'halo' effect, helping us to remember other happy events more vividly, feel more optimistic, more positive and more motivated."

So give it a try…make an effort to smile a little more today!