It’s no wonder that smiling is such a popular subject in the world of poetry and song. Think about it; ‘’When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles with You)’’, ‘’Make Me Smile (Come Up & See Me)’’, ‘’Smile Like You Mean It’’……all bonafide classics and earnest paeans to bearing your gnashers.
It is, after all, such an evocative, mood lifting thing to do, both for the giver and receiver. Indeed, smiling has been proven to help improve your mood and even has several health benefits — these include lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, and boosting your immune system.
Sadly, so many of us are a little shy at showing our smiles, whether that’s out of embarrassment about our teeth or the shape of our mouth, or because we’re reluctant to reveal our true feelings to the world. This reluctance to smile is to the detriment of the world, because let’s face it; the world would be a much happier place if people smiled more! So, why not try these 5 ways to learn to love your smile more.
Practice Smiling
It might sound silly – hey, it might even feel silly – but standing in front of the mirror and practicing your range of smiles is a great way to find the one smile that you love. In fact, studies have shown that smiling regularly releases endorphins, natural painkillers and serotonin, elevating mood and reducing physical and emotional pain.
And the more you do it, the better you feel! The best thing about this technique is that each time you practice, you’ll get all of those happiness and health boosting benefits, and in the process, learn to love your smile more.
Keep Your Smile Healthy
You never look your best when you aren’t feeling your best, and that is the same for your smile. It might be that your teeth are crooked or missing, you might have bad breath, or you might just have parts of yesterday’s dinner stuck between your teeth. Any of these common problems are smile confidence killers brought on by poor dental hygiene.
There is no quick fix to being on point with your dental hygiene; instead, pay attention to the basics; brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss regularly and avoid food and drink items known to be particularly corrosive.
For those with more severe dental issues, such as multiple missing teeth, full mouth dental implants can be a transformative solution, restoring both function and aesthetics to your smile.
Read: What are the worst (and best) culprits for staining your teeth?
Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
It can be easy to point out all of the aspects you hate about your smile or your teeth, but it is also important to remind yourself that there will be features that you may dislike that others appreciate. Maybe you have a cockeyed smile or a gap between your front teeth. Just remember that those little “imperfections” will be the things that others truly love about you.
These unique features are the things that set us apart and make us memorable. Don’t hide what makes you unique; instead, share it with a smile.
Focus On Why You Are Smiling
It is important to remember that we smile because we feel good or happy at that moment. Smiling is a beautiful way of communicating your emotions and your joy with those around you. It should never matter what your smile looks like, only what it expresses.
Remember, too, that research has previously revealed that people who smile more and show positive emotions are viewed as happier, friendlier people, which is also associated with professional success. If you needed another reason to show off that smile, then just think of your career!
Smile Authentically
There is nothing more captivating and contagious than an authentic smile. You might occasionally find yourself smiling out of politeness or embarrassment, but these types of smiles are different, forced and, oftentimes, revealing of emotions we might be more keen to keep to ourselves.
Fascinatingly, psychological studies have discovered that there are 19 different types of smile, and only 6 of them indicate happiness. Other smiles might allude to fear, pain and even contempt.
Authentic smiles, on the other hand, are unique, enchanting and contagious. The reasons why they are contagious are due to mirror neurons in our brain. These neurons not only detect and mimic body language but also the facial expressions of those around you. That means that your authentic smile can, in turn, make other people smile and spread the same joy that you are feeling. How can you not love that?
