Smiling is a universal human expression that we all use to express emotions and feelings. Smiling comes naturally to us, but there’s more going on behind the scenes than you might realize.
There is a lot to the science of smiling. The muscles involved in smiling are controlled by different parts of the brain than those used for frowning or other negative facial expressions. This allows us to have greater control over our smiles than any other facial expression, which makes them unique and more powerful than any other form of communication.
What does a smile do for you? When we smile, it makes us feel good and triggers positive thoughts about ourselves and others around us. It signals to your brain that you are happy, which encourages it to release hormones, including endorphins, serotonin and dopamine, that increase your good feelings. Each of these hormones provide your body with different feelings. Endorphins are responsible for feelings of positivity that run through your system, serotonin is responsible for regulating your mood and dopamine is responsible for motivating you to continue doing rewarding behaviors such as a smiling. By having all of these hormones running through your body, it lifts your mood and helps you relax.
Have you ever wondered to yourself, why do we smile when we are happy? It’s pretty simple actually. Due to the hormones running through your body, there is a feedback loop of good vibes that can either make you happy or make you smile. In essence, this means that you smile because you feel good, and when you feel good, you smile more. Smiles are so powerful, just seeing another person smile can cause your brain to release your feel-good hormones. This then causes you to smile too! When that happens, more hormones are released, and you get a boost to your mood because of it.
A genuine smile shared with another person can make someone else smile, feel better about themselves, and feel better about their situation — even if it’s just for a moment! Smiling also affects how others see us, because people will typically associate smiling with positive emotions like happiness or contentment.
This phenomenon doesn’t just apply to humans. Dogs also respond positively when their owners smile at them; this further confirms what we already know about how important it is for humans to smile as much as possible! It’s amazing to see how smiling affects others, including dogs.
Regarding the science of a smile, it has also been found that you can "fake it till you make it." That means that if you aren't feeling particularly happy at any given moment, smiling even a little can cause your brain to release the feel-good hormones that will circulate throughout your entire body. It won't take long before you are feeling truly happier and have a genuine smile on your face.