Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Look More Beautiful in Seconds!

What if I told you that you can look more beautiful right now within seconds...would you believe me? Well you can and it is as simple as smiling! All  too often we underestimate the power of a smile! We all know that a smile can do things like warm a heart, speak words of kindness without ever saying a word and tell the world you’re feeling pleased. But did you know that a simple smile makes you more beautiful, sexy and younger looking?!
When I say a smile makes you more beautiful, sexy and younger looking I'm not just speaking metaphorically or figuratively. A smile really does increase overall attractiveness!
One study conducted by Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Germany proved that when people looked at photos of happy faces, they guessed the person's age as younger than in photos of the same person with a neutral or angry expression. And it gets even better than that. The Journal of Nonverbal Behavior reports that people are judged more attractive and more intelligent if their eyes wrinkle around the corners when they smile, hence, crow's feet wrinkles. I was especially pleased to stumble upon this fact since my own crow's feet often discouraged me from genuinely smiling in pictures. So you can probably imagine why the idea that crow's feet can make me more attractive really makes me smile...crow's feet and all.
In another study (Walsh & Hewitt) smiling was proven to have a more powerful effect on men than eye contact. This research was conducted in a bar setting and focused on physical cues that trigger a man to approach a woman. When a woman established eye contact alone she was approached 20% of the time by a man. However, when she added a smile she was approached 60% of the time. I should note that the same did not hold true for men and smiling in this particular scenario.
Now that we have established that smiling makes you irresistibly beautiful, let's not forget that looks aren't everything and there is a lot to be said about feeling great physically. Well, once again a smile saves the day! Did you know that smiling makes you feel good by releasing endorphins, lowering blood pressure and boosting immune function? According to Psychology Today, the simple act of smiling:
1. Makes Us Attractive to others There is an automatic attraction to people who smile.
2. Changes Mood If you smile when you are not feeling good, there is a chance it might improve the way you are feeling.
3. Contagious Others will want to be with you. You will be helping others feel good.
4. Relieves Stress Stress does express itself in our faces. When we smile, it can help us look better, less tired, less worn down.
5. Boosts Immune System Smiling can actually stimulate your immune response by helping you relax.
6. Lowers Blood Pressure When you smile, there is evidence that your blood pressure can decrease.
7. Releases Endorphins and Serotonin Research has reported that smiling releases endorphins, which are natural pain relievers, along with serotonin, which is also associated with feel good properties
So, as you can see, a "simple" smile is nothing short of amazing on many levels. There is something deeply human and healing about smiling. I would even go as far to say that a smile unites us all in humanity and beauty.