3 Benefits to Smiling

Heading into winter the days are becoming grey and dreary.  With darkness arriving earlier and earlier there is less to smile about, however there are health benefits to smiling.

1.  Smiling can prevent wrinkles.
Some types of lines around the eyes and mouth are associated with smiling, but smiling can actually help prevent wrinkles because smiling activates the muscles of the face.  There are also facial exercises which can tone these muscles thereby slowing down the development of wrinkles.  

2.  Smiling can improve your mood.
People associate feeling happy with the desire to smile, however if you aren't feeling your best you can change your mood just by lifting the corners of your mouth and creating a twinkle in your eye.  The action of smiling releases endorphins and serotonin, which regulates mood and sleep, will make one feel better.   In addition stress and anxiety shows up on our faces and by changing our facial expression from a frown to a smile the stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline are reduced.

3. Smiling can boost your health
Smiling has also been shown to lower blood pressure and improve immune function through activation of T-cells thereby reducing colds or the flu.  Smiling, especially combined with laughter, can also help regulate sugar levels after a meal if you have type II diabetes.