How Smiling Can Improve Your Mood and Reduce Stress
- Changing your physical expression by smiling more often can alter your emotional state and lower your physiological stress response, according to experts.
- Earlier research into what experts call the facial feedback hypothesis demonstrates that shifting facial expressions can alter how a person feels.
- «Lorsque nous avons fait cette démonstration en cours, cela a fonctionné, a raconté Mme Tsai.
Changing your physical expression by smiling more often can alter your emotional state and lower your physiological stress response, according to experts.
The Facial Feedback Hypothesis and Early Research
Earlier research into what experts call the facial feedback hypothesis demonstrates that shifting facial expressions can alter how a person feels. Jeanne Tsai, professor of psychology at Stanford University and director of the Culture and Emotion Lab, pointed to a classic late-1980s study where researchers instructed participants to hold a pencil between their lips to force a smile or a frown while watching positive film clips, such as cartoons. Participants who were directed to smile reported feeling more amused and experienced the physical sensation more intensely.
«Lorsque nous avons fait cette démonstration en cours, cela a fonctionné, a raconté Mme Tsai. Lorsque vous [souriez] seul dans une pièce, vous ne le faites pas dans le cadre d’une interaction sociale; peut-être que cela vous aide à vous souvenir, ou que c’est l’effet du souvenir d’un événement positif qui vous met de meilleure humeur.»
Jeanne Tsai
Physiological Effects on Stress and Cortisol
Dr. Judy Ho, a clinical and forensic neuropsychologist in Los Angeles and professor at Pepperdine University, utilizes smiling as an additional coping strategy for patients experiencing depression or anxiety, though she notes it is not a standalone solution. Dr. Ho explains that smiling can impact cortisol, the hormone the body releases to help regulate stress and mood, alongside brain chemicals tied to positive feelings like endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin.
«Les personnes qui sourient pendant des tâches stressantes présentent généralement une fréquence cardiaque plus basse pendant la phase de récupération que celles qui gardent une expression neutre, a expliqué M. Ho. Le sourire réduit également certains aspects de la réponse physiologique du corps au stress.»
Dr. Judy Ho
Target was the subject of social media backlash for having a policy where employees were required to smile, maintain eye contact within 3 meters, and personally greet customers within 1 meter.
«Dans ces situations, on constate que le sourire ne fait que vous mener tout droit au malheur, a déclaré M. Coles. Ce n’est que lorsqu’il semble authentique et volontaire qu’il peut, selon moi, avoir un réel effet.»
Nicholas Coles