Joe Shmmoe
MEMBERS ONLY
Added to Favorites
Favorite removed
Want to read more? Create an account on aarp.org.
A healthy lifestyle helps protect the brain. Make brain health a habit and register on aarp.org to access Staying Sharp.
Login to Unlock AccessNot Registered? Create Account
Add to My Favorites
Added to My Favorites
Completed
Updated March 26, 2024
Smile more — it may help boost your mood.
Smiling more may help improve your mood, especially during tough situations. A study published in 2021 in the journal Emotion found that out of 231 young adults, participants who grinned during a needle injection had lower heart rates during the shot than those who wore neutral expressions or grimaces. Grinning can also boost people’s positive perceptions of you, even when your smile is covered. Individuals who smiled behind a face mask were rated as more attractive, trustworthy and competent by onlookers compared to those with a covered neutral expression, according to a study of 250 participants published in 2023 in the Journal of Economic Psychology.
You May Be Interested In