A smile is a gift, one that we give not only to others, but to ourselves as well. It’s a way to make people feel better and a sign we’re comfortable and happy right where we are, with exactly the people we’re with. A smile can show somebody we love them, we’re happy to see them, or give them reassurance that everything will be OK.
Whatever meaning is behind our smile, it’s always a positive thing and it’s also beneficial to our wellbeing. But, how do you reap these benefits? And how do you find much-needed confidence in your smile? Here are some tips to help you make the best of your smile.
Allow yourself to smile
There are those people who smile kindly most of the time. For them it seems like the most natural thing in the world. They do it effortlessly and leave you wishing you could do the same. If you aren’t like them and if you don’t have the habit of smiling too often, there is still something you can do to help yourself and start feeling more comfortable with a smile on your face. Perhaps you should think about the reasons behind you wearing a serious face.
Sometimes people refuse to smile because they think their smile is a sign of vulnerability and weakness. However, once you realize your smile will simply make you appear friendlier and make it easier for people to approach you with anything, you’ll start smiling with more ease and feel more confident about it.
Practice smiling
Again, for those people who smile without giving it a thought, this might seem like a silly idea. In reality, it actually isn’t. Standing in front of a mirror and practicing your biggest and nicest smile can give you a chance to find the best smile-induced facial expressions which compliment your appearance. You can even consider asking somebody close to you for opinion on the topic, or take some selfies to see what you look like smiling from many different angles.
That way you’ll know which one of your smiles is the best-looking one, which is something the Filipinos are aware of, since Makati and Pasig are the places with the highest ratio of selfies taken to the population of the city. Plus, while you practice smiling and even force yourself to smile, you will stimulate the areas of the brain which are normally active when you smile naturally. This means that, not only do you smile when you’re happy, but you can actually become happier by making yourself smile.
Make sure your smile is a healthy one
This basically means that you should pay attention to your oral hygiene. It might be that you avoid smiling because you don’t really like your smile. Maybe you have bad breath, or your teeth are crooked or overlapping and all you really want to do is hide this. However, this is a confidence killer and it’s something you should work on. This is something Australians are very conscious of, which is why they’ll seek an experienced orthodontist in Wollongong to get the best treatment they can in order to have those perfectly straight teeth and a beautiful smile.
What you can do at home is make sure you brush your teeth and floss them regularly, and that you use fluoride toothpaste to improve your oral health. When your teeth are healthy and look nice, you’ll feel more confident about smiling and will do it more freely.
Smile from your heart
Sometimes people decide to hide their happiness, mostly because they feel that those around them will judge them for it. They think that they shouldn’t impose their feelings on anybody, no matter how positive those feelings are. However, smiles are actually contagious, especially those sincere ones, which truly reflect how good we feel at any given moment.
The reason behind this are the mirror neurons. These neurons in our brain tend to detect and mimic not only the facial expressions, but also body language of the people we’re surrounded by. This means that your own smile can make other people smile as well and awaken positive emotions in them as a result. This could be a great cure for shyness and a great way to improve your self-esteem, so never refrain yourself from smiling, but rather smile away, like it’s your only job in this world.
Own the feedback you get
There is a whole list of benefits you can get from smiling. From relieving you of stress and boosting your mood, to making you feel more attractive and even physically healthier, since smiling can actually lower your blood pressure and improve your immune system. However, this isn’t nearly all. Smiling can make it easier to close business deals, get promotions or even have people help you if you get stuck in a project at work.
Basically, if you ask for something, there’s a higher chance you’ll get it by asking with a smile. Once you notice the positive reactions of people around you and occurrences you can attribute to your smile, you’ll wear it with even more confidence and pride.
There is nothing you can lose by smiling, but there is a lot you can gain by it. So, smile whenever you feel like it and let your smile boost your self-esteem.