The art of smiling : By Efua Hagan

Have you ever come across someone, who no matter what you did or said would not laugh or show the slightest hint of amusement? What that person may not know is that smiling, laughing and feeling joy relieves stress, makes you healthier, and can even help you live a longer, happier life. Smiling is a recognised expression of happiness across all cultures around the world. Before a smile can be genuine, it has to be associated with joy and happiness. A Genuine Smile is an involuntary response that can be triggered by a happy thought, memory or sound, or from seeing something funny and inspiring. Not only does a smile come naturally from happiness, research proves that a smile can actually increase happiness. Smiling often leads to laughing, which can create a sense of joy, which results in a natural relief from stress. When you smile and laugh, the brain produces endorphins which are chemicals inside your body that (when released) help relieve physical and emotional stress, and thus, create a feeling of well-being. Since stress is attributed to many illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and many more, smiling often can enhance your health. Sometimes we may get so caught up and stressed from the day to day challenges we face that we leave no room for smiling and feeling joy. However, it’s amazing how a smiling can make you feel better, so even in difficult moments we should do our best to find something to smile about because the simple reaction of raising the corners of your lips can release a flood of joy from within you that at the time, you never thought you had. ms.efuahagan@gmail.com