Imagine that you are in transport or that you have a decisive appointment for your future. In this kind of stressful situation, try to smile… Yes, this is a good anti-stress remedy. This seemingly ingenuous advice 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 us.
To demonstrate the health benefits of laughter, the researchers tested the reactions of 169 students under stress. They were first trained to hold Chinese chopsticks with their mouths to force them to smile. Then the participants kept the chopsticks while performing a series of stressful tasks. Among the exercises proposed, that of immersing your hands in a basin of ice water, forcing yourself to smile or not.
In the end, people trained to smile experienced less stress than those who kept a neutral facial expression. Scientists have realized that at the end of the activities, people who have a sincere smile, the famous Duchenne smile that engages all the muscles of the mouth and eyes, have a lower heart rate than others.
Morality: smiling or laughing, even forced, is better than having your face closed. A conclusion not so surprising as that. Shy laughter or outright laughter have the power to slow down 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 the endocrine glands produce relaxing substances. The brain actually releases endorphins and serotonin, the well-being hormones that fight against pain and bring a very pleasant feeling of relaxation.
