The Happy Face Advantage

It is an inexpensive way to change your looks. It is a curve that sets everything right. The world always looks better from behind it. And when you give one away, you get one back to keep.

Yes! I am referring to those curves on your faces – smiles that give you a happy face.

Smiles have an edge over all other emotional expressions. The human brain prefers happy faces, recognizing them more readily and quickly than those with negative expressions. This is known as the Happy Face Advantage.

Smile is a universal language. Even a baby would return your smile.

Smiling may be the shortest distance between two brains. Even strangers smile back. It breaks the barriers to communication.

Keeping a Happy Face by smiling and laughing has many benefits. Let us look at three here.

First, it reduces your make-up costs… I mean…It makes you look better.

People who smile attract others like the lamp attracting the bees. We want to know a smiling person and are curious to figure out what is so good.

The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don't go for a face lift, just keep a happy face -- you'll look younger and feel better – saves some makeup costs J

A happy face also makes you appear and feel more confident and less nervous.

Second, a happy face improves your mood and reduces stress.

Hey is it not the other way? Your mood decides your face, right? No… try this:

Next time you are feeling down, open a smile. Smiling can trick the body into changing your mood. Your mood will change for the better.

Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural painkillers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. So there is no need for anti-depressants and other drugs. A Happy face keeps the drugs away.

Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. A happy face brings down the stress hormones and relaxes you.

Third and probably the most important benefit: Keeping a happy face reduces medical bills.

Endorphins are released when you laugh and smile. These endorphins help the immune system. Also it makes you relaxed.

Your blood pressure is reduced. And you feel more energized.

In a Hindi movie, I saw scores of people gather in a circle and acting very funny… with drinking actions like ho ho hahaha. This they repeated till everyone started laughing for real! I thought that this was something made up in the movie for humor. While googling for this speech I figured out that it was a laughter club gathering.

Dr. Madan Kataria of Mumbai, started the concept of laughter club based on his research on the therapeutic nature of laughter and Yoga.

In these clubs, people first fake and then make laughter. Many businesses have laughter clubs and they start the day with laughter meetingsJ; seems like an idea we can try for our exercise and inspiration.

To have some good laugh time, you can watch the google videos on laughter clubs. It will also make you healthier.

“World Laughter Day” is being observed to spread the joy and health benefits of laughter.

From the benefits discussed here you can see that Nature has given us something readily available and reliable to make us look and feel better.

So keep smiling and always grab the chance to laugh. Keep a Happy Face!