Imagine that you are in transport or that you have a decisive appointment for your future. In this kind of stressful situations, try to smile… Yes, this is a good anti-stress remedy. This advice, which may seem ingenuous, is given by Sarah Pressman, a very serious researcher at the University of Kansas. She conducted a study on the benefits of laughter against stress and seems to be convinced of the result. “Not only is this beneficial to you psychologically because it allows you to keep smiling in all circumstances, but it also preserves your heart health!”, She assures.
To demonstrate the health benefits of laughter, the researchers tested the reactions of 169 students under stress. They were first trained to hold chopsticks with their mouths to force them to smile. Then the participants kept the chopsticks on while performing a series of stressful tasks. Among the exercises offered, that of plunging your hands into a basin of ice water, forcing yourself to smile or not.
In the end, people trained to smile recorded a lower level of stress than those who kept a neutral facial expression. Scientists have realized that after activities people who have a sincere smile, the famous Duchenne smile which engages all the muscles of the mouth and eyes, have a lower heart rate than others.
Morality: smiling or laughing, even forcefully, is better than having a closed face. A not-so-surprising conclusion. Shy laughter or outright laughter has the power to slow the heart rate and relax your body as effectively as a workout. Indeed, it has been shown that when you laugh, the central nervous system and endocrine glands produce relaxing substances. The brain actually releases endorphins and serotoninthe hormones of well-being that fight against pain and bring a very pleasant feeling of relaxation.
