One of the most universal human gestures, the smile is a symbol of happiness and contentment. But what if this simple act can actually boost our mood?
Smile and Feel Happy
The Duchenne smile is a genuine, happy smile that engages both the mouth and eyes. It’s named after 19th-century French neurologist Guillaume Duchenne de Boulogne, who was the first to describe the facial muscles involved in this type of smile.
While most smiles only involve the mouth, a Duchenne smile involves both the zygomaticus major muscle (which raises the corners of the mouth) and the orbicularis oculi muscle (which lowers the eyelids and produces crow’s feet at the outer corners of the eyes).
This
combination of muscles makes for a more intimate and sincere-looking smile.
“We experience the emotion
so often that we forget to marvel at just how incredible this ability is. But
without emotion, there's no pain or pleasure, no suffering or bliss, and no
tragedy and glory in the human condition. This research tells us something
fundamentally important about how this emotional experience works."
Nicholas Coles, Stanford Research Scientist
So what’s the secret to happiness?
According to some researchers, it might just be smiling – and not just any old
smile, but a Duchenne smile. A study published in Psychological Science found
that people who were instructed to smile using all their facial muscles (not
just their mouths) reported feeling happier than those who were instructed to
simply relax their faces.
So next time you’re feeling down,
try cracking a Duchenne smile. It might just help turn that frown upside down.
Why Are Some People Immune to Happiness?
It's a common misconception that
some people are just naturally happy, while others are not. However, research
suggests there may be something to this. A study published in the journal
Psychological Science found that people who are immune to happiness tend to
have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
So what does this mean? Well, people who are chronically stressed may be less likely to
experience positive emotions like happiness. This is because cortisol can
interfere with the brain's ability to regulate emotion. Therefore, if you're
constantly under stress, you may be less likely to feel happy, even in
situations that should be joyful.
Of course, this isn't an excuse to
be a grump all the time. Everyone experiences stress and it's important to find
ways to cope with it healthily. But if you struggle to feel happy, even
when things are going well, it might be worth considering whether stress could
play a role. idea
How to Train Your Brain for a Duchenne Smile
Duchenne smiles are often referred
to as genuine smiles. They are characterized by the crinkling of the eyes and a
wide open mouth. Duchenne smiles are named after French neurologist Guillaume
Duchenne, who first described them in the 19th century.
A Duchenne smile is produced when
the zygomaticus major muscle, which controls the corners of the mouth,
contracts. This also raises the orbicularis oculi muscles, which surround the
eyes. The result is a smile that not only involves the mouth but also includes
a genuine crinkling of the eyes.
While all smiles involve some degree
of muscle contraction, Duchenne smiles are thought to be more sincere because
they require voluntary control over facial muscles that are not used in simple
reflexive smiling. This means that Duchenne smiles cannot be faked; they must
be genuinely felt to produce.
Because Duchenne smiles reflect
genuine happiness and positive emotion, they are contagious. Studies have shown
that seeing a Duchenne smile can lead to an automatic mimicry of that
expression, resulting in an increased sense of positivity and well-being in
viewers.
So how can you train your brain to produce more Duchenne smiles? One way is simply by practicing smiling regularly. Smiling has been found to activate neural pathways associated with positive emotion, even when done without feeling happy initially. so that's all.