Behind every smile there is chemistry

SINGAPORE: Many people do not realize the power of a smile. A smile can work magic, it can heal emotional pain, and it can remove physical pain. When we smile at another person we not only let them feel that they are wanted, accepted and appreciated, but that smile can also offer encouragement too. Studies show that when we smile something wonderful happens within our body. We feel happier; our brain sends a rush of feel good messages throughout the body.

When we smile we release a chemical message deep within our brain known as an endorphin. Once released these endorphins travel down the spine sending feel good messages throughout the rest of your body as they go. These endorphins are strong enough to actually have the power to reduce symptoms of physical or emotional pain, and they will blanket with a nice warm fuzzy feeling of well being. They are a chemical of approximately the same strength as another feel good chemical that we know as morphine.

Endorphins have the ability to make feel happy, and whenever we smile, we release them. So even if we are not happy when we begin to smile, we will be after wards, and the more often that we smile then the happier that we will feel. Smiling has also been proven to be contagious, so we have the power to make other people smile, and we can do this by simply passing a smile to someone else.

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