World Smile Day 2023: 10 Health Benefits Of Smiling & Laughing

Know the health benefits of laughing and smiling

World Smile Day 2023

(Image: iStock)

World Smile Day 2023 will be celebrated today, 6 October 2023, and the main agenda to establish this day as an international event is to make people smile and make them understand the importance of a genuine smile for themselves and the people around them. The theme of World Smile Day is the same every year. Thus World Smile Day theme 2023 is 'Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile.' World Smile Day was created by a graphic artist named Harvey Ball from Worcester, Massachusetts. He created the smiley face symbol in the year 1963 and the popularity of this symbol exploded into the world of popular culture. Harvey’s creation has had a legacy and has been appreciated worldwide.

Now, let's know more about the importance and health benefits of smiling and laughing on World Smile Day day 2023

What Are the Benefits of Being Happy Or Smiling?

1. Laughter helps in lowering stress hormones and reducing physical tension throughout our body and also helps lower blood pressure which is good for heart health.

2. Laughing and smiling not only improves your mood but also relaxes your muscles by increasing blood circulation.

3. The good feeling when you smile or laugh triggers a chemical reaction in your brain, which releases small proteins called neuropeptides, that help maintain immune tolerance and may help fight potentially serious illnesses.

4. When smiling your body releases three different hormones: dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin, which “trick” your body into feeling happier, as low levels of these hormones are associated with depression.

5. Endorphins released while smiling temporarily reduces body ache or minor pain and with time increased laughter helps elevate the pain threshold and also helps build a higher pain tolerance.

6. Smiling creates a positive feeling and maintaining this upbeat thinking comes with real health benefits such as increased life span, better cardiovascular health, and lower rates of depression.

7. Smiling lengthens your overall lifespan. It is believed that happy people enjoy better health and longevity.

8. Smiling boosts your overall health by helping your immune system to function more effectively when you smile, immune function improves because you are more relaxed.

9. Smiling can reduce stress even if you don't feel like smiling or even if you fake it. It is suggested that when stressed intentionally putting a smile on your face may help improve your mood and ability to manage the stress.

10. Cortisol in your body is regulated through laughter as laughing boosts oxygen intake, which improves blood circulation and lowers cortisol levels.