It might sound cheesy but smiling makes you feel better when you’re down. What parents and friends advise in difficult times actually works, and scientists have long been able to identify numerous advantages attributed to the smile.
Its power can bring you more happiness and satisfaction, and it has tangible advantages in social interactions and professional careers. See? There are plenty of good reasons to smile.
Nevertheless, time and again it shows that people smile too seldom. Instead, long faces and sad expressions are everywhere.
What does a smile mean?
Does a smile bring advantages?
How does the perfect smile look?
It Makes You Memorable
It’s not your nose, a birthmark, or the curve of your lips that make you memorable. It’s your smile! Not only will you remember something better yourself, but other people also remember you much better when you smile. Science confirms this with several tests in which test subjects consistently remembered the happy, smiling likenesses better, even though they only saw the faces for a few seconds. Their memory worsens as soon as they tried to memorize abnormalities such as a pronounced nose or an intelligent facial expression.
It Revs Your Creative Engine
Your brain rewards joyfulness with increased thinking power and new perspectives. This is illustrated by the results of scientific studies by the University of Toronto. Compared to control groups, smiling and good-humored test subjects had a significantly increased ability to absorb, analyze, and perform better in creative tasks. Other studies show that cheerful colleagues bring almost twice as many suggestions for improvement and good ideas to their companies.
It Increases Your Charm
You can easily observe this effect yourself in everyday life. Look at different people around you. Some smile, some frown, some are stoic and show no emotion. Which of these people are you immediately drawn to? A smile speaks to other people, signals honest interactions, and suggests trustworthiness. In addition, people who smile more have better reputations, which results in them being recommended more often by bosses and co-workers.
It Can Get You Promoted
Speaking of bosses and co-workers, a personable impression is crucial during a job interview, or when seeking a raise or promotion. A self-confident smile shows that you’re competent, determined, and ambitious. Alice Isen, a psychology professor at Cornell University in New York, revealed in her studies that there is a connection between professional success and a good mood. She came to the conclusion that good-natured colleagues are not only more popular and well-liked (which in itself is a professional advantage), but their ratings are higher and they are promoted more often by their superiors. Plus, smiling employees achieve a higher salary on average. Without a doubt, smiling moves you up the ladder!
This is How to Get a Perfect Smile
Smiling doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and that’s okay. Usually, you’ll notice two extremes; either a completely exaggerated smile, which automatically looks fake, or a much more reserved smile that rarely goes beyond a slight twitch of the corners of the mouth. Unfortunately, both the types of these smiles leave people with a cold feeling.
According to researchers, the perfect smile is precisely average and apparently not that difficult. There are three decisive factors:
- Slightly open mouth
Open your mouth slightly, but not too wide. Teeth should be easy to see, but you don’t want anyone looking down your throat.
- Raised corners of the mouth
With the perfect smile, the corners of the mouth are visibly raised. This applies to both sides, so the corners of the mouth are moved symmetrically upwards.
- Authentic expression
This cannot be forced, but it is the most crucial factor for a perfect smile. You have to really mean your smile authentically. As a result, you immediately appear likable, even to complete strangers.
An old saying claims that the shortest distance between two people is a smile. Our crew at Danville Family Dentistry believe that to be true. That’s why we want to help you love to keep your bright and healthy. Call us today at 317-745-4400 to make an appointment.
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Disclaimer: The information included in this article is for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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