5 Health Benefits of Smiling and Laughing
I am quite focused on smiling and not just because I was a dentist for 37 years. It’s also because I know the real health benefits of smiling ……….and laughing, too. Have you ever felt bad when you really smile or really laugh? Your answer is probably no and there are several reasons for this.
I was once told by a friend that the Talmud (one of the central texts of Judaism and the primary source of Jewish theology) says something about smiling. Here it is:
Sages tell us that a person’s face is considered “a public place”: others see us and are affected by what we show them. The Talmud explains that smiling at someone is an even higher form of charity than giving him money, because the smile will enhance the recipient’s well-being on every level of body and soul.
These principles hold true whether we are out on the street affecting strangers, or whether we’re in the privacy of our homes, affecting our family and loved ones. Whoever looks at us and sees our mood will be affected by it, for better or worse. We can “make” or “break” their day (Put on a Happy Face by Sarah Chana Radcliffe).
You may or may not agree with the premise that your face is a “public place,” but the idea of energy affecting one another was there, perhaps way before its time.
In my view, this does not mean that you have to ‘fake’ a smile or laugh or pretend to be ‘happy’ when you’re not. Remember, only when you feel (your feelings) can you heal (anxiety, trauma, etc.)
Here are 5 Health Benefits of Smiling and Laughing:
1)Improves Mood: (look at above). I often suggest to my coaching clients (Life Coach NYC, Mindset Coach) that they ‘pat themselves on the back,’ even when they take even a tiny step in their forward progress, healing and more. This allows them to stop and focus, for a few extra seconds, on something (even a tiny step) that they’ve accomplished. This is not ‘natural’ for us, since our minds have a ‘negativity bias’, which is the notion that, even when of equal intensity, things of a more negative nature have a greater effect on one’s psychological state and processes than neutral or positive things (Knowledge).
This negativity bias has been with us humans for eons; it was (and still is) for our survival, as a coping mechanism. In more primitive times, if a tiger was creeping up behind you, your ‘negativity bias’ worked to alert you that something was wrong or dangerous, and this may have saved your life. It has stayed with us………….
When you smile, your body releases 3 different hormones: dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. These hormones really ‘trick’ your body into feeling happier, as low levels of these hormones are associated with depression. Something as simple as looking at photos from a great trip or painting (one of my favorites) or giving yourself a ‘pat on the back’ (another favorite) can bring a smile to your face.
Also, when you smile, you stimulate the vagus nerve, which is the 10th and largest cranial nerve, which runs through your facial muscles, throat, vocal cords, lungs, heart, gut and more. The vagus nerve is part of the parasympathetic (PNS), the ‘rest, relax and digest’ system. So, when the vagus nerve is stimulated (ie: through smiling, humming, gargling with cold water, etc.), your body (and mind) relax and your mood improves.
It doesn’t take much effort, it’s well worth your time and you’ll improve your mood!
2)Decreases Stress: Laughing can improve your health in several ways. It lowers stress hormones and reduces physical tension throughout your body. It also helps lower your blood pressure, which is good for your heart health.
Try reading a funny book or listening to a funny podcast or watching a funny movie or try laughter yoga (exercise involving prolonged voluntary laughter)………..you get the idea.
Not only will you smile but laughter relaxes your muscles by increasing your blood circulation. After many of us being seated on our a……… for more than 2 years, with Covid, this is a good thing.
Give yourself a nod, some credit and a pat on the back and smile and laugh. The more you laugh, the calmer and more stress-free you will feel!
3)Strengthens your Immune System: The good feeling when you smile or laugh triggers a chemical reaction in your brain, which releases small proteins called neuropeptides. These tiny molecules maintain immune tolerance and may help fight potentially serious illnesses.
Though life can be hectic, make sure that you get some humor into and throughout your day. Share funny videos or ideas with friends, share a joke with someone. It’s important to keep the mood light and find time to have a laugh (even if you, like me, have trauma in your background and tend to take life a bit too seriously)!
4)Reduces pain: Like after you exercise, the endorphins that are released when you smile can temporarily reduce body aches or minor pains. Over time, increased laughter can elevate your pain threshold and help you build a higher pain tolerance. As a woman who has been through a few major joint surgeries in the last few years, I can attest to this.
If you experience soreness, stiffness (yes), make it a priority to get some laughs in. You’ll not only limit body pain but you’ll be improving your overall health and well-being, too!
And don’t worry how you look. Smiling and laughing are contagious…………and let’s face it, everybody can use a good laugh!
5)Increases Positive Feelings: Smiling creates a positive feeling. Just try it…..you can’t smile and feel sad at the same time.
Maintaining this more upbeat thinking has real health benefits: increased life span, better cardiovascular health (one of the leading killers in the USA), and lower rates of depression (which has increased in the last few years).
Make time to connect with others……friends, family, or like-minded folks, who make you laugh, whether it’s through their story-sharing, joke-telling or funny view on life.
Remember, my friends, the more pats on the back, smiling and laughter in your life, the happier you and those around you, will feel! And you’ll look more gorgeous, too…..:)
With smiles and love,
Dr Gigi
PS: Book a Clarity Call with Dr Gigi Arnaud, a NYC-based Life and Mindset Coach @
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