- Smiling Improves Mood
- Smiling Lowers Blood Pressure
- Laughter Reduces Stress
- Laughter Creates Better Relationships
- Smiling Helps Strengthen The Immune Function
- Smiling Can Help Reduce Pain
- Smile For A Longer Life
The Smile Poem
Smiling is infectious,
you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner
and someone saw my grin.
When he smiled I realized
I’d passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile,
then I realized its worth.
A single smile, just like mine
could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin,
don’t leave it undetected.
Let’s start an epidemic quick,
and get the world infected!
Spike Milligan Or not!
The media circus has jumped onto Coronavirus and again, we have no idea what to believe. On the one hand we have a global pandemic and armageddon, the last battle between good and evil before the Day of Judgement. On the other, it’s an outbreak no worse than normal winter infections.
Thing’s could get bad, they could get very bad or not!
One think is guaranteed though. A smile will either see us through or help in the darkest hours.
Smile is a poem attributed the late, great Spike Milligan. It’s a truly joyous piece that promotes the positivity of smiling.
But there is speculation as to whether it was actually penned by the comedy legend at all. Most publications attribute Spike as author, but there is also speculation that it was originally written by Karen McLendon-Laumann.
Update: I have recently read that her daughter-in-law, said the poem was in fact written by the late Norma Cousins.
Regardless, It’s a great gift to the world, I’m sure you’ll agree.
We could all do with smiling more, that is for sure. It should really be the first thing we do as we wake and the last thing we do before sleeping. Pop a smile on the lips. The science of smiling and laughter is pointing to the health benefits of feeling more positive. You simply can’t help feeling better when you’re smiling.
7 Amazing Benefits of Smiling And Laughter
Smiling Improves Mood
It is reported that smiling can boost your mood especially when you’re when you’re feeling blue. It is especially helpful for people struggling with anxiety and depression. The simple act of smiling releases endorphins. A study found that smiling when feeling down helps improve the overall mood increasing vitality and positive thoughts. When you’re having a bad day, just smile anyway, it’ll lift your spirits.
Smiling Lowers Blood Pressure
Your blood pressure can be lowered simply by smiling and laughing more, which is great news for the health of your heart. A review on the effects of laughter concluded that it caused an initial increase in heart rate. This was immediately followed by a period of muscle relaxation where the heart rate decreased along with blood pressure. Lower blood pressure helps reduce the risk of developing heart disease in later life.
Laughter Reduces Stress
The simple act of smiling, regardless of whether you’re feeling happy or not and will help you deal with the stressful situations you encounter daily, more effectively. A study entitled Grin and Bear it published in Psychological Science concluded that smiling often results in a lower heart rate when dealing with stressful tasks. Stress throughout the body can be debilitating and causes increased heart rate and blood pressure. Popping on a smile when you’re feeling stressed provides both physical and psychological health benefits.
Laughter Creates Better Relationships
People who smile and laugh a lot simply glow. Often self-obsessed supermodels appear dull, even ugly, simply because they don’t smile on the inside and on the out. Then you’ll see less attractive people who just buzz. Put them side by side and you’re drawn to the smile. Smilers are just more likable, according to one study. A likable person makes it easier to build and maintain positive relationships with. Good relationships are important for the overall health and well-being. Positive people tend to have more stable marriages, they also tend to have better interpersonal skills. Pop a smile on and help create stronger, healthier relationship bonds.
Smiling Helps Strengthen The Immune Function
It has been show that laughter actually appears to boost your body’s immune system. A Mayo Clinic report entitled Stress Relief From Laughter concluded that laughter with the associated positive thoughts releases chemicals in the brain that fight stress and illnesses. Cortisol which is released along with negative thoughts and situations decrease the body’s immunity. Laughter therapy has shown increases in immune responses in post natal women. So laughter really could be the best medicine.
Smiling Can Help Reduce Pain
Pain relief is actually associated with smiling and laughter. The Mayo Clinic Stress Management report concluded that laughter caused the body to release feel-good endorphins which are natural painkillers. Laughter appears to increase the bodies pain threshold, thus creating a higher tolerance. So, if you’re in the A and E ward sitting in pain, pull out the smart phone and watch a funny movie. If you’re not feeling well, go and hang out with friends and family who love you and make you smile.
And The Big One Smile For A Longer Life
It appears that the secret of eternal youth might be right under your nose. Smile Intensity in Photographs Predicts Longevity concluded that laughing, smiling and positive emotions are associated with a longer, richer and more fulfilled life. Now that’s a reason to smile!
