Winning smiles
What’s in a smile? It’s a way to communicate happiness and friendliness to others, but it also has emotional and physical benefits. It sends messages to the brain, which responds by releasing stress-lowering neuropeptides as well as that well-known trio of feel-good neurotransmitters – dopamine, endorphins and serotonin. Perhaps the most surprising aspect, though, according to a study published in Experimental Psychology in 2020, is that a fake smile can trigger the same benefits.