The phrase "smile and you will feel better" may seem provocative on a day burdened with stress, especially when a person finds no reason to smile. But what if a smile could improve mood, even slightly, in the absence of a reason to be happy?
This is what scientific experiments testing the effect of facial expressions on emotions and stress response suggest. A smile is not necessarily a reflection of what we feel; in certain circumstances, it may contribute to shaping a fleeting feeling of happiness. However, this effect remains limited and does not mean that smiling can eliminate sadness or treat psychological disorders.
In a study published in the journal "Nature Human Behaviour," scientists investigated a hypothesis known as "facial feedback," which assumes that facial expressions not only convey emotions to others but may also influence the person's own emotional state.
The study included 3,878 participants from 19 countries, and researchers used various methods to induce smiling, including mimicking photos of smiling faces, moving facial muscles voluntarily, and holding a pen in the mouth in a way that targets the muscles associated with smiling.
The results showed that mimicking a smile and moving facial muscles voluntarily contributed to enhancing the feeling of happiness during the experiment, while the results were less clear when using the pen method.
These differences indicate that the effect of a smile may depend on how facial expressions are formed. Also, feeling a temporary improvement inside the laboratory does not necessarily mean the same effect occurs in daily life or lasts for a long time.
The research was not limited to emotions but extended to physical responses associated with psychological stress.
In another study involving 170 participants, researchers tested the body's response to two stress-inducing tasks, while asking participants to maintain smiling or neutral expressions, and using chopsticks to fix the position of the face.
The results showed that participants in the smiling group recorded lower heart rates during the recovery phase from the tasks compared to those who maintained neutral expressions.
This result provides an indication of the potential impact of facial expressions on some physiological responses to stress. However, it does not prove that smiling prevents heart disease or treats chronic stress, nor is it sufficient to say that it has lasting health benefits outside the conditions of the experiment.
Despite the common talk about the effect of smiling on dopamine and serotonin, the results of these two studies do not allow for the assertion that smiling raises the levels of these substances or lowers the cortisol hormone.
What the researchers tested was the change in the feeling of happiness and some physical responses to stress, not proving a specific chain of hormonal or chemical changes within the body.
Furthermore, observing a fleeting improvement in mood is different from proving a long-term improvement in mental health. The international study did not test smiling as a treatment for depression or as an alternative to psychotherapy and medication.
A simple smile might be an experience worth trying if a person feels it helps them regain some calm or improve their mood. But it is better not to expect a major transformation from it, or to blame oneself if no difference is felt.
Emotions are too complex to be controlled by facial muscle movement alone, and the ability to smile does not necessarily mean a person is happy. Also, scientific results do not justify demanding that those going through sadness or exhaustion hide their feelings behind a permanent smile.
If low mood or anxiety persists and begins to affect sleep, work, or relationships, seeking help from a professional remains a more appropriate step than relying on smiling alone.
A smile may give the mood a small boost, but it is not a cure for everything that weighs on the soul, and it should not turn from a simple choice into a duty to show happiness.
