Groundbreaking research from the University of South Australia confirms that the act of smiling can trick your mind into happiness, simply by how you move your facial muscles 😀.
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The new study evaluated the impact of a convert smile on two situations: perceptions of face and body expressions 🤔. ➡️In both situations a smile was induced by participants holding a pen between their teeth 😬, forcing their facial muscles to replicate the movement of a smile while a comparison group didn’t hold a pen.
➡️Both groups were shown a range of facial expressions (from frowns to smiles) and a series of body movements (from „sad walking” videos to „happy walking” videos).
➡️Under the „pen-in-the-teeth” conditio, the forced „smiling” facial position caused the participants to interpret the facial muscles and body movements of others as more positive, compared to the „no-pen” group 😉.
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When participants forced a smile, it stimulated the amygdala – the emotional brain center 🧠, which is turn released neurotransmitters to encourage an emotionally positive state 🤗
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According to the Chief investigator, Dr Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos „When your muscles say you’re happy, you’re more likely to see the world around you in a positive way” 🤩.
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He concludes that if the brain can be tricked into perceiving stimulation as happy, this mechanism could be used to boost mental health conditions such as reducing anxiety or depression 😊
Remember – keep smiling! 😊😁😀😆😄😃😉🙂
Keep smiling!
How to be HAPPY 