While watching a TED talk recently, I learned the following statistics about smiling.<\/p>\n
The simple interpretation\u2026\u2026the majority of us are smiling between 5-20 times a day. \u00a0That may not be all that surprising until you learn that children smile on average over 400 times daily. Being a grown up doesn\u2019t sound all that much fun in comparison. \u00a0Have we forgotten how to smile as adults? \u00a0Are we too busy to remember to do so? \u00a0\u00a0Truth be told we are busy, have mounting stress and are thinking about the many other things we need to do (or Guests we may need to deal with). \u00a0However this one expression can increase our attitude throughout the day and we will handle our \u201cTo Do\u201d lists with much more ease and efficiency. \u00a0The act of smiling has been proven to reduce stress hormones and increase the feel good hormones such as serotonin and endorphins, that we all know and love. \u00a0Smiling also reduces blood pressure and is linked to a healthier and increased lifespan.<\/p>\n
Another fact – our brain doesn\u2019t differentiate between a sincere or a real smile, it just knows that we are. \u00a0Even when we don\u2019t feel like smiling we should create the habit of doing so. \u00a0\u00a0When you smile, others will smile back. The more people that smile back at you, the more your smile will form naturally and your mood will change for the better. \u00a0This simple act of smiling can change our entire outlook for the day, even in stressful situations. \u00a0\u00a0Smiling brings happiness to ourselves and to others and ultimately makes us more comfortable with each other.<\/p>\n
My advice for the day is to google the TED talk by Ron Gutman. \u00a0There is an interesting fact about chocolate bars that made me smile. \u00a0I\u2019m hoping it will do the same for you. \u00a0\u00a0Enjoy!<\/p>\n