Smile! Fake it if you must
Bottom Line: Last year in a story entitled “Don’t worry, be happy & live longer” I shared this with you... How much longer do you think optimistic people live compared to their negative nelly counterparts? The answer is... 15%. That 15% equates to 12 years of life for the average person. While it’s easier said than done for many (being optimistic), it’s certainly a valuable life lesson/understanding. This story is a different but similar but slightly different dynamic that’s related.
Researchers at the University of South Australia found that smiling, even if it’s contrived, will result in a more positive you. Yeah, that’s right. Even a fake smile will cause you to feel more positive. How fake can it be? The study published in the journal Experimental Psychology determined that even physically forcing your face into a smile works. The reason, according to the scientists, comes down to your brain's interpretation of muscles. When muscles in your face are uplifted, your brain interprets that in a way which produces a positive chemical reaction. That’s why a smile occurs naturally. But you can get the same effect even when you’re not happy. So, for your own good. Fake it until you make it comes to mind.