Did you know that smiling can make you happier? It’s true. The physical act of smiling stimulates the reward system of the human brain. It increases endorphin levels and makes your brain think it’s happy even when you don’t feel happy.
Not only that, but a nice smile is contagious. Which means others can benefit from your smiles as well.
If smiling can make you feel better, can a beautiful smile affect your work? Maybe the secret to success is more than simply working harder, meeting deadlines, and paying dues. Perhaps the trick to building trust and earning money is smiling more at work.
The Science of the Smile
A smile is all about positivity. It creates a positive feedback loop of good feelings and happiness that stimulates your brain and releases more happy feelings. Not only can smiles trigger the stimulation of happiness, but those happy feelings in turn create a desire to smile.
Have you ever tried smiling when you feel crummy? When you’re having a bad day and things aren’t going your way, have you ever tried taking a moment to smile? The remarkable thing about the human smile is that, sometimes, it’s all that it takes to turn things around.
A good smile goes a long way.
Modern scientists refer to this phenomenon as the facial feedback hypothesis, which stems from the speculations of Charles Darwin and William James. The facial feedback hypothesis claims that facial expressions and emotional reactions are directly related.
Not only are they related, but they influence one another. This refers back to that positive feedback loop of good feelings. The more you smile, the happier you are. And the happier you are, the more you’ll typically want to smile.
Smiling may not be the only solution to a tough work environment, and it might not be the one thing that’s keeping you from that promotion you want. However, recognizing how important it is to smile every day is a great place to start in the pursuit of success at work.
Are Smiles Contagious?
Have you ever tried not smiling when everyone around you is smiling? It is not an easy feat. Even if you are not in a smiling mood, hanging out with a bunch of smiling people will most likely leave you just as smiley as they are.
Many studies have been done over the years on the subject of contagious smiles. The consensus is that smiling makes people feel better. And smiling people are viewed as more relaxed and reliable than those who are not smiling.
Usually, people smile when they see others smiling. This is where the idea comes from that smiling is contagious. It’s extremely difficult to prevent a smile from cracking when everyone around you has a big grin plastered on their face.
Smiling creates more smiles. It can reduce anxiety and lower blood pressure, which contributes to those good, happy feelings.
With all this in mind, it should be no surprise that smiling more at work will have many positive ramifications.
Why Smile at Work?
Smiling makes you feel good. Not only that, it makes you look good. Studies have shown that people are seen as more attractive when they are smiling. They are seen as more attractive, more trustworthy, and more dependable.
These are just a few of the great benefits of smiling at work. It can help your coworkers feel relaxed around you and see you as dependable. Since smiling people tend to come across as trustworthy, building relationships with coworkers and superiors should be easier.
When you smile, you draw the best kind of attention to yourself. A pretty smile can turn someone’s day around. Smiling and positivity exist in a symbiotic relationship that can make your work experience much better.
Success at Work
If a smile can improve your life outside of work, it stands to reason that it can improve your life at work as well. There are many moving factors to finding success at work, and no one thing is guaranteed to make you successful. But smiling at work will help.
Even when you don’t feel like smiling, doing it enough will eventually help you feel like smiling. And smiling often can help you at work by letting you build stronger relationships. Your boss and coworkers all present an opportunity for you to build a bond with them.
Smiling will help you present yourself as someone approachable. Approachability will make you someone that people want to talk to and engage with on a deeper level. These are critical elements to finding more success at work.
Another professional benefit of smiling is how it helps you deal with stress and focus more intently on projects. We all know that focus can be a struggle at work sometimes. Keeping your productivity up and your stress levels down will only make you more successful.
Dental Health and Happiness
If forcing a fake smile can help you get to a place where you feel happy and have lower stress levels, it seems likely that genuine smiles will only help you succeed in the long run. We all know that finding a good work-life balance can be difficult. Imagine how a pretty smile helps!
Smiling does more than help you create a positive work culture. It can make you a better leader, make those around you happier, and even lower your blood pressure and heart rate.
With so many obvious health and social benefits, it seems like smiling should be an everyday activity.
Thank Your Local Dentist
Smiling is one of those things that makes you feel better, increases your productivity at work, and it can help your overall health and wellness. If you’re feeling uncomfortable about your smile, or simply haven’t seen a dentist in a while and a dental exam is overdue, our compassionate and skilled team of clinicians are eager to see you. Here at Las Cruces Dental Solutions, we can help you achieve your smile goals in a comfortable and convenient environment. Schedule your first visit today to experience the difference a genuine, beautiful, healthy smile can make!
