16.04.2024 Christin Müller 17863

Smile for happiness!

One smile please: For World Laughter Day on May 5, show your best smile and become happier and more content.

The alarm clock hasn't rung, you leave the house in a hurry, the train leaves right under your nose - even though you should have been in the office five minutes ago. As soon as you arrive, you pour hot coffee on your white shirt or blouse. There are days when everything just goes wrong.

Even if you feel like crying, it's a good idea to put on a smile now at the latest. Because true to the motto "laughter is the best medicine", it relieves emotional pressure.

Smiling relaxes and makes you happy: an exercise

Put on a smile, even if you don't feel like it. Pull up the corners of your mouth as if you have a reason to be happy. Even if a genuine smile is of course the best, a fake smile can also lift the mood.

According to an Australian study, pulling up the corners of your mouth is enough to signal the brain: You are happy. Our brain reacts to the muscle movement and releases endorphins (happiness hormones).

No one is in the room and listening? Then laugh out loud for once. You'll see your stress levels drop. Hearty laughter reduces the stress hormones cortisol and dopamine by almost 40 percent, according to researchers at Loma Linda University in California (2008). 

A nice side effect: you infect other people with your cheerfulness and often get a smile back.

Feeling real joy keeps you healthy in the long term

Even if the above little exercise brings feelings of happiness, real fun and a carefree laugh are the number one happiness boosters in many areas of life.

1. laughter keeps you healthy

Laughter can have a variety of positive effects on mental and physical health. Not only can it reduce stress, but it also strengthens the immune system, improves blood circulation and can even relieve pain.

2. laughter strengthens social relationships

In social life, laughter can also help to strengthen relationships and resolve conflicts. It promotes empathy, compassion and a sense of togetherness by connecting people and breaking down barriers.

3. laughter in working life

Unfortunately, there is too little room for them in our adult lives. After all, fun has a bad reputation in the adult world. "If you're having fun, you're not working hard enough" is a belief that has become entrenched in some offices. For many people, laughter indicates a lack of seriousness and competence and is something we tend to associate with children.

In the workplace, however, incorporating humor and laughter into everyday working life can boost morale, promote teamwork and stimulate creativity and innovation. Dealing with challenges and stressful situations in a humorous way can strengthen employees' resilience and help them to cope better with work-related stress.

When was the last time you laughed in public and had fun without a care in the world? Or when was the last time you saw other people doing it?
 

What is positive psychology?

Laughter is a central component of positive psychology. Positive psychology (or the science of a successful life) is the science of what enables individuals, organizations and societies to develop and flourish in the best possible way.

In contrast to traditional psychology, which often focuses on the treatment of problems, positive psychology emphasizes the promotion of positive emotions, personal growth and the pursuit of a fulfilling life.

Sources:

Marmolejo-Ramos, F., Murata, A., Sasaki, K. et al. (2020). Your Face and Moves Seem Happier When I Smile. Exp Psychol.

psychology Today 12/23

Cathrine Price, The Power of Joy. How to feel alive again.

Seligman, M. (2018). PERMA and the building blocks of well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(4), 333-335. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2018.1437466