A common thread seems to run through every child's experience: the passion to be a superhero who changes the world for the better. Every superhero needs a superpower if they are going to change the world, and one of those superpowers is smiling. Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academy, a Valrico, FL preschool, is highlighting the benefits of a smile for mental and physical health.
In her article, "'The Hidden Power Of Smiling,' 8 Mind-Blowing Facts About Your Smile", author Beverly Jenkins asks the question, "Have you ever had someone smile at you and felt your mood instantly rise for seemingly no reason? As it turns out, there are several reasons for this simple mood boost, and all of them can be scientifically proven."
Here are some of the "mind-blowing facts" that Beverly Jenkins points out about the hidden powers of smiling.
1. A broad smile can add years to life.
Smiles are a predictor of the length of a person's life. Researchers studied photographs and estimated how successful a person would be based on their smile. The researchers' theory was that smiling people live longer. By studying yearbook photos and the real-life experiences of each subject, researchers demonstrated that there is a definite connection between smiling and length of life. Frequent smilers live longer and happier lives. In one study that looked at the smiles of professional baseball players on their official MLB baseball cards, scientists were able to accurately predict life span, based solely on how "beaming" their smiles were.
2. Humans are born smiling.
3D ultrasound technology reveals babies in the womb appear to smile. Once born, babies continue to smile, mostly in their sleep. Babies who are blind smile at the sound of a human voice.
3. Most adults smile more than twenty times each day.
Children smile up to four hundred times each day. No wonder being around children brings so much happiness and joy! Studies of isolated people groups show that the smile is the universal expression of joy.
4. Smiling is contagious.
People mimic other people's expressions as a way to experience their emotions physically. This automatic response helps people understand the emotional state of people around them. Frowning at someone who is smiling is very difficult.
5. Smiling stimulates the brain better than chocolate.
One smile can chemically stimulate the human brain in the same way as eating up to 2000 bars of chocolate.
6. Smiling improves health.
The British Dental Health Foundation conducted a study that showed that the simple act of smiling can have a dramatic effect on mood. Even when someone is feeling sad, forcing a smile can actually help improve mood. Smiling can reduce anxiety symptoms, such as increased blood pressure, digestive problems, and blood sugar regulation. Smiling also activates neuropeptides that fight stress by sending the message to the body that the person is happy. Dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin are neurotransmitters associated with pleasure, and they are released when a person smiles. Not only do people feel better, but their heart rate and blood pressure decrease. In addition, endorphins serve as a natural pain reliever, and serotonin acts as an anti-depressant and mood lifter.
7. Smiling blesses others.
Dentists understand the power of smiling. "In a 2011 study by researchers at the Face Research Laboratory at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, both men and women were more attracted to images of people who made eye contact and smiled. The reason? Smiling makes you look more attractive, relaxed, sincere, and confident — all attractive qualities. Interestingly, one study published in Neuropsychologia, a medical journal, indicated that smiling activates the part of your brain that processes sensory rewards. So, when you smile at someone, they feel rewarded (and vice versa). Additionally, smiling is contagious. In one Swedish study of emotional empathy, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, researchers found that humans have an unconscious automatic response area that causes us to mimic the facial expressions of those we interact with. Thus, our natural reaction when we see a smile is to smile back. It actually takes a lot of effort to frown in response to a smile!"
The respected online health magazine, Verywell Mind, highlights the superpower smile in an article entitled "Top Ten Reasons to Smile every day." Verywell Mind lists the following benefits of smiling:
- Smiling Makes Us Attractive
- Smiling Relieves Stress
- Smiling Elevates Our Mood
- Smiling Is Contagious
- Smiling Boosts Your Immune System
- Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure
- Smiling Makes Us Feel Good
- Smiling Makes You Look Younger
- Smiling Makes You Seem Successful
- Smiling Helps You Stay Positive
Dr. Mark Stibich, Ph.D., the article's author, says, "Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It's hard, isn't it? Even when a smile feels unnatural or forced, it still sends the brain and ultimately the rest of our body the message that 'Life is Good!' Stay away from depression, stress, and worry by smiling."
All Kids 'R' Kids Academies share a common desire to provide a safe and happy place where children of all ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds can learn and smile together. The well-trained staff is a resource for families to discuss the intricacies of child care and early education while providing other necessary support, and they share the families' goals for the success of the whole child.
For more information about the learning opportunities at Kids 'R' Kids of Valrico, visit the website at kidsrkids.com/valrico. To speak with a staff member, call (813) 657-6200.
