Capture More Smile Moments
What if I told you that something as simple as a smile could transform your health—lowering stress, improving your heart health, and even boosting your immune system?
Hopefully, the collage at the top of this newsletter brought a smile to your face. It’s hard to look at smiling kids and animals without feeling a little happier, isn’t it?
Science tells us that those little moments of joy, kindness, and connection aren’t just good for your mood—they’re a boon for your body, too.
Every time you smile or laugh, your brain releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. These help relax your body, lowering your heart rate and blood pressure, and even boosting your immune system.
And here’s something surprising: smiling might just help with weight loss as well.
When we’re trying to shed pounds, we focus on eating mindfully and moving more. But sometimes progress is slow or nonexistent. Why? Stress.
Stress can be a sneaky culprit that makes it hard to lose weight. When we’re stressed, our bodies release cortisol, a hormone that tells our system to hang onto weight—because it perceives we might need that energy to survive. In a state of fight or flight, our body prioritizes survival over weight loss.
None of us are immune to stress, but recognizing it as a roadblock to health is powerful. It’s essential to create space in your day for stress-reducing activities—like meditation, journaling, reflecting, reading, or even just smiling more.
Any type of relaxation activity is a stress buster that will calm your system and benefit you in so many ways:
Stress Reduction: Smiling and laughter decrease cortisol levels, calming your body and mind.
Heart Health: Studies show that laughter improves blood flow, promoting cardiovascular health.
Immune Boost: Regular laughter enhances the activity of natural killer cells that fight off illness.
Mood Lift: A good laugh triggers the release of endorphins, natural painkillers that improve your outlook on life.
Here’s something even cooler: your brain doesn’t know the difference between a fake smile and a real one. Just turning up the corners of your mouth can trick your brain into thinking you’re happy, jump-starting those health benefits!
That said, I’d rather you invest in creating genuine “smile moments” in your life instead of faking it. These small, intentional moments can turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary one:
Paying it forward—buy someone’s coffee or lunch.
Sending a quick text to an old friend, just because you thought of them.
Slowing down and letting someone merge into traffic with a friendly wave.
Sitting outside for five minutes with your face to the sun, embracing the calm.
Deciding you're worth the break—enjoy a few chapters of that book you’ve been meaning to read.
Sharing a laugh with someone over a silly meme.
Offering a compliment to a stranger—who doesn’t love hearing, “I love your jacket!”?
A Smile Challenge for You
This week, I challenge you to create three smile moments each day. Keep it simple: smile at someone in line, call a friend for a quick hello, or enjoy a deep belly laugh. Maybe you can watch an old movie that you know will make you laugh.
Then, reflect—how did it make you feel? Jot down your thoughts, and if you’re comfortable, share your smile moments with me.
I’d love to highlight some in a future blog!
So let’s keep the joy rolling—smile more, stress less, and watch how your health and happiness transform, one grin at a time.