Anxiety & Smiling!

Smile To Beat Anxiety

"A hearty laugh or even a smile can instantly uplift one's mood and make one feel better. It also brings a smile on the other's face" 

Interestingly, smiling is the best way to combat certain mental disorders including depression and anxiety. 

This simple gesture can bring about a shift in one's mood. 

Smiling has numerous benefits - it not only helps one become happy but improves health by strengthening one's immune system. 

Most importantly, whether natural or forced, smiling and laughing can beat stress. 

The benefits of smiling and laughing are boundless, however, many people fail to recognize their positive effects.

Dealing with anxiety occasionally is quite normal, especially when the situation demands so. However, when the symptoms start interfering with one's work and personal life, making a person restless, irritated or worried all the time, one should seek medical help since it could be a sign of an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorder is a serious mental illness that does not allow a person to lead a normal life. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), anxiety disorders are prevalent in the United States, affecting nearly 40 million people. Fortunately, there are effective ways to reduce anxiety including certain self-help techniques. The best part is that something as simple as smiling can effectively reduce anxiety and calm the nervous system.

Smiling and laughing keeps anxiety at bay

According to a study, published in the journal Psychological Science, and conducted by the psychologists at the University of Kansas, smiling can actually reduce stress and help a person feel better, in certain circumstances.

"Age old adages, such as 'grin and bear it,' have suggested smiling to be not only an important nonverbal indicator of happiness but also wishfully promotes smiling as a panacea for life's stressful events," said researcher Tara Kraft. 

"We wanted to examine whether these adages had scientific merit; whether smiling could have real health-relevant benefits."

When dealing with a difficult situation, the brain releases several stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine, which, in turn, makes a person feel tense and anxious. 

In such a situation, smiling is the best resort as it curbs the release of stress hormones and enables the release of endorphins, the feel-good neurotransmitters, in the body. 

Smiling also increases the oxygen supply in the body, thereby helping in muscle relaxation and reducing the physical symptoms of anxiety. 

Smiling makes a person feel better and helps develop a positive outlook towards life. 

Laughing shifts the focus of the person from the worrisome situation. 

Though keeping one's chin up and laughing or smiling in a stressful situation can be a difficult task but its benefits are immense. 

In fact, when a person manages to remain happy even in tough times, things eventually begin to change and get better.

by Barbara Odozi: source