Smiling might just be a natural reaction when we're happy but scientists have found its amazing effect in reverse. Huffington Post reports forcing or faking a smile could actually reduce stress and make people happy.
A recent research conducted by psychologists Tara Kraft and Sarah Pressman have proven the joyful effects of smiling among people under pressure.
For the study, a total of 169 participants were asked to use chopsticks in their mouths to force one of these three facial expressions: a neutral face, a standard a.k.a. "half" smile, or a Duchenne a.k.a. "big smile". Half of the group were instructed to don a neutral expression while the other half were asked to smile.
The participants were then assigned to do a series of multi-tasking and stressful activities (like using a non-dominant hand while tracing a star as reflected on a mirror) while researchers monitored their heart-rates and self-reported stress levels.
According to results, those who were asked to smile had lower heart-rate and stress levels after the exercises. In fact, those who donned an "ear-to-ear" smile were significantly less-stressed than those who did not smile at all. Although their smiles were forced by chopsticks, the group of participants came out of the experiment feeling more happy and content.
"The next time you are stuck in traffic or are experiencing some other type of stress, you might try to hold your face in a smile for a moment," said Sarah Pressman who led the study. "Not only will it help you 'grin and bear it' psychologically, but it might actually help your heart health as well."
Smiling does have a lot of positive effects to a person. Aside from lifting our moods and curbing stress, a good grin on our faces also make us appear more likeable and friendly --- making those around us cheer up as well.
