Don’t forget to smile today!

Like the virus, smiling is contagious; when someone smiled at me today, I began to smile as well. Smiling is like a virus; it spreads from person to person and is contagious like other viruses. It spreads in various ways, including reading, so this essay about smiling should make you feel better (just thinking about smiling makes your brain release endorphins, which lifts your mood a little). Seriously, try not to smile at all while reading this essay.

People frequently smile when they are happy. Neuronal messages from your cortex to your brainstem travel when you feel happy. The signal is then sent to the facial muscles that make you smile by the cranial muscle. Sounds basic? But that’s just the beginning…Once your facial muscles start to smile, a positive feedback loop travels back to your brain, reinforcing how happy you are. Simply said, smiles happen when we feel happy. Our brain then tells our face muscles to grin, we smile and signal our brain that we feel good, and so on. Additionally, the chemicals make you healthier, so smiling may be just as beneficial as physical activity.
The emergence of the idea of evolution (arguably) indicates that humans are descended from apes, and smiling has already transformed the world. When a monkey bares its fangs, flattens its ears, and tenses the muscles in its throat, it is because it is scared and preparing for a battle, and it wants to make its opponent feel the same way. However, a human only shows teeth, flattens ears, and tightens throat muscles when greeting someone or when it is experiencing a pleasant emotion. What led to this peculiar evolutionary divergence? How did gnashing teeth become smiling? The ‘missing link’ facial expressions in evolution are the key source of proof.
People who are born blind exhibit the same smiles as those who are in similar circumstances to sighted people, which I find puzzling given that they have never actually seen a smile. This demonstrates how grinning is becoming a typical reaction to good sensations. In other words, smiling comes naturally to you; it’s not a skill you have to practice.
Did you know that even the well-known pleasure-giver chocolate can’t equal the way that smiling activates our brain’s reward mechanisms? Another fascinating fact is that a recent study found that grinning can have the same energizing effects as receiving up to 16,000 pounds sterling in cash. In theory, people who smile 62 times each day should feel wealthy!
We genuinely smile when we are born, believe it or not. The development of 3D ultrasound technology has made it possible for medical professionals to see developing babies grinning in the womb. A baby’s smile lasts even after birth. Because smiling is a fundamental and biologically consistent human expression, this is true of all babies regardless of culture or environment.
Have you ever noticed that when you’re having a bad day and are in the worst mood, you’ll just suddenly smile and feel better when you chat to or see someone else smiling? Studies have shown that smiling is “contagious,” showing the rumour to be true. Your orbitofrontal cortex, which processes sensory rewards, becomes active when you see a smile. As a result, when you notice someone else grinning, you feel rewarded, which is a satisfying emotion and makes you smile! Additionally, studies have shown that smiling instantly improves your mood, even if you are in a bad mood because smiling alone is enough to release happy hormones. You don’t trust me? Try it. The next time you are engaged in a heated fight, grin and watch as the other person’s demeanor changes and becomes a little more upbeat. The next time you just got some bad news, smile and wait patiently while you fool your brain into making you feel better. The next time you find yourself in tears, just smile to lift your spirits.
In conclusion, a grin has already altered the course of history and will continue to do so because it is one of the most potent traits that all people have in common. All walls can be broken down by a smile. It is prejudice-free. Your grin will always be appreciated, regardless of who you are or where you are. A smile is a symbol of something greater. It stands for openness, affection, and friendliness. It conveys acceptance and happiness without using words. It ties us all together and encompasses us.

– The author is Assistant Professor & Biotechnologist at Patiala. She can be reached at harpreet9936@gmail.com