Do you know people who smile and laugh all the time? Don’t they encourage you to feel the same way? Whenever I’m around them, I feel cheerful, happy, and full of joy.
If you and I have ever met, you know that I enjoy smiling. The first principle of etiquette is to smile when meeting someone new. I also make smiling a regular habit when I am alone at home. A smile makes me feel happier and grateful for everything I have. It helps me not to complain about what I see, hear, and read on the news.
Sure, there will always be improvements we can make in our lives. But it’s never productive to constantly complain (with frowns) without balancing comments with a smile about what is good in life. I believe the good parts far outweigh and overshadow whatever issues we face.
Studies prove that smiling and laughing positively impact health and well-being. They uplift moods, reduce stress and pain, and create a ripple effect throughout one’s body and society. However, they also show that they have adverse effects when a person doesn’t smile and laugh.
Here are Eight Medical and Social Reasons to Smile:Reasons why Smiling is Good Etiquette:
1. Mood improvement. A smile triggers brain activity associated with mood improvement. Both genuine and forced smiles can improve mood by activating brain regions associated with reward and pleasure to reduce stress
Whenever I take a break from work, I stand and make myself smile. This washes away any stress I may have and takes me back to a place in my mind and soul where I am happy and stress-free. Then, I get back to work with new energy.
2. Reduces pain. Studies show that smiling decreases cortisol levels and improves mood, which act as pain relievers. Laughter can also help reduce pain by releasing endorphins.
As a child, whenever I had a wound that hurt, even when bandaged, my mom told me this is how I knew it was healing. “Be happy it is hurting. Think of it as growing pains—growing in terms of healing,” she would say.
3. Immune system boost. Laughter boosts the immune system by increasing antibody levels and activating immune cells.
I never thought of this before writing this article, but I rarely get sick with a cold, flu, or Covid. Could it be because I smile all the time?
4. Improves heart health. Laughter promotes cardiovascular health by enhancing blood flow.
When people smile, it indicates peace and happiness. When people are happy, they are less prone to heart troubles.
5. Increased longevity and well-being. Have you ever met or seen someone who lived past 90 or 100? They are typically among the happiest, good-humored people. Studies suggest that people who laugh can have better immune responses to stress. Less stress leads to a longer life.
A study and example of longevity is the documentary on Netflix I highly recommend is Live to 100. It’s also at https://www.netflix.com/title/81214929
Among other things to do, daily activities that get you up and moving around, smiling, and laughing are common among all the people profiled in Live to 100: Secrets to Blue Zones. It’s also at https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/live-to-100-secrets-of-the-blue-zones-documentary.
We all know having a good, steady night’s sleep is crucial to good health. As my last ritual every night, I smile and think of something happy (usually, it’s about my beloved Ron and gratitude). This completely relaxes me and releases all my stress and negative thoughts. I fall asleep fast, usually within minutes.
6. Social bonding. Smiling and laughter enhance social bonding and interactions when building friendships, whether at home, at work, or when out living our daily lives.
7. Positive social impact. This is the second biggest reason to smile and laugh. Shared laughter improves group cohesion and reduces social barriers. I dream of a life where everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, profession, the neighborhoods where they live, or whatever level of education they may have, can learn to get along by smiling and laughing about what we have in common.
8. Ripple effect. Smiling and laughing are the best infectious diseases we should all catch without a cure.
However, the opposite can be equally infectious. When a person never smiles, laughs, or constantly complains, it tells me a great deal about that person. It indicates that the person may be generally unhappy and perhaps unhealthy mentally, physically, and emotionally. On the surface, it immediately tells me that I do not want to be around this person because I do not choose or want to be influenced by their lack of smiles and laughter.
No matter how serious the situation may be, smiling, laughing, and displaying positivity are cornerstones of longevity, which is how we all should choose to live. When we do this collectively, almost no situation can be resolved, and the world will become a happier, healthier, and more productive place.
A renowned global Qigong Grand Master, Dr. Effie Chow, taught me that everyone must have 8 belly laughs and 8 smiles each day, no matter what is happening. This is the surest path to living a healthier, happier, and longer life.
Also, check out https://missionjoy.org/. This amazing documentary lasts less than 90 minutes and is available on most streaming platforms. I promise it will be well worth the nominal fee you may pay to view it. If you genuinely didn’t enjoy it, let me know, and I’ll pay you back the fee.
The film features Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who discuss smiling and laughing. At the end of the film, you’ll be asked to complete a self-profile about your own joy level in life. This has become a must-see homework assignment for all my adult seminars, as it forms the foundation of all we do in building a life within civility and etiquette.
Happy Practicing!
P.S. Here are two resources that helped develop this article:
Health Benefits of Smiling and Laughing
(Also at: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/the-real-health-benefits-of-smiling-and-laughing
Laughter in Medicine
(Also at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10249641)