Sometimes your day doesn’t start well. You wake up late. Your kids are yelling and throwing tantrums. You are late to work. And then you realize you left your keys in your car, again. Understandably, you’re a bit irritated. And yet, surprisingly, you can find ways to smile even when life throws you a curveball or three.

The health benefits of smiling can help brighten your day in many ways, including:

Attractiveness.

A great smile can draw another person in toward you like nothing else. There is something profoundly magnetic about someone who has a smile that lights up a room. Conversely, a person who frowns, grimaces, or leers tends to drive people away more quickly.

Smiling is contagious.

When you meet someone with a great smile, odds are excellent that you’re going to return the favor to them. This can reduce the stress of meeting someone new and helps break the ice in almost any social situation.

Smiling elevates our mood.

Even if we don’t necessarily know that we’re smiling, experiencing something that makes us smile can help relieve stress by making us feel better, even if only incrementally. Hearing a good joke or smelling a pleasant scent often allows us to feel more comfortable in a given situation, no matter how bad our mood might be at that moment.

Smiling boosts your immune system.

This is perhaps one of the most important health benefits of smiling. As smiling helps us to relax, it can also help improve our overall health by allowing our immune system to operate more efficiently.

Smiling can make you look younger.

The muscles that we use to smile also lift the face, which in turn can make a person appear younger.

Smiling helps you stay positive.

Yes, even when you’ve locked your keys in the car, if you smile, you can take away some of the stress and negativity affecting you.

To gain the health benefits of smiling, consider the following:

Putting on some soothing music or going for a walk can help relieve that stress you’re feeling, leading to greater enjoyment and relaxation. This will lighten your mood accordingly, even when you’re dealing with ongoing stress. Finding friends and family who support and enrich your life can also dramatically help improve your happiness. The more you smile, the more likely that those good vibes will be reciprocated.

If you’re looking to keep your smile as attractive and magnetic as possible, give us a call at Mountain View Dental. We have a comfortable and professional office with experienced staff who would be delighted to serve all of your dental needs. Please contact us if you have any questions or comments, or if you would like to schedule an appointment. We look forward to serving you.