Happy New Year & Welcome to 2017! If you’re working on your New Year’s Resolutions, we would like to offer up a rather unconventional suggestion…smile more! Let 2017 be the year that you release your beautiful smile – you’ll be surprised how much it can brighten your year and here’s why:
Smiling Increases Happiness and Reduces Stress
We smile every day, but often don’t realize how much smiling positively affects our health and happiness, as well as that of everyone around us! Smiling is proven to reduce stress and increase happiness. Oftentimes smiling is looked at as a result of happiness, but it goes both ways.
If you’ve ever wondered why, it’s because smiling releases endorphins and serotonin, two of the major chemicals that cause happiness. Not only does smiling trigger happiness-it also helps reduce stress, lower blood pressures and strengthen the immune system.
When smiling the body is more relaxed, causing stress reduction which leads to a stronger immune system. Another study suggests that more smiling can also be associated with lower cortisol levels, which is another factor in reducing stress and strengthening overall health. More happiness and less stress? That sound like a pretty good deal!
Smile: You’re More Likely to Get the Job
Smiling helps in many aspects of the workplace as well. During job interviews it is very important to smile as smiling shows confidence and friendliness, as well as other qualities that employers are likely to be looking for. It can also show that you are a positive and happy person, passionate about what you do and you would improve the workplace with your positive energy.
Even if you’re not trying to land a new job, smiling can help out at work. Smiling can be contagious! Smiling more at work can greatly improve the work environment for you and your coworkers which, as we’ve just learned, can help increase happiness and reduce stress. Another way that smiling helps in the work place is that those who smile often are actually more likely to get promoted in jobs than their less-smiling peers. Can you believe it? Well, start smiling and let us know how it goes!
Smiling Makes You More Attractive!
Smiling also causes people to be more attractive and naturally beautiful. Studies find that 70% of people find smiling faces more attractive than faces with makeup. This is partially due to the fact that smiling can actually cause people to look younger!
The muscles used in smiling naturally lift the face, so smiling is a sort of natural, free face lift. As we’ve mentioned, smiling is contagious, so others around you receive the innumerable benefits that come along with smiling as well. Through smiling more, we can all be healthier and happier!
Creating Beautiful Smiles
If you are not smiling with confidence, now is a great time to do something about it – start the New Year out with a new smile! According to Dr. Owens, “with all the new technology it’s a great time to be improving to improve your smile – from simple whitening procedures to more complex cosmetic restorations there are so many possibilities.” For more information, talk to your dentist about the options available to make your smile beautiful!
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