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A few years ago when I was living in Panama, I was working at an office doing sales. Since today everything seems to function via the internet, the connection needed to work perfectly so we could continue our daily tasks. However one day we suddenly lost internet access since an important piece of the router burned out after a blackout.
Since everybody was stressed out and there was nothing to do, I went out for a coffee. I entered a little kiosk right next to the office that just opened its doors for the first time. When entering, the happiness of the owner was radiating throughout the entire place. The man had a huge smile on his face while offering free candy to his new customers. My mood suddenly changed and I felt happy as well. At that moment, I understood that what you reflect on the world, along with good gestures can be transmitted to others.
After getting my coffee, I returned to the office. I decided to do an experiment. The one person that seemed to be the most stressed-out was our manager. So I decided to write a post-it note and leave it on his desk without a signature. All the little note said was “we will get past this =)". In addition to the note, I left one of the sweets, the cheerful owner of the new kiosk gave me. It was incredible! After seeing it, the manager smiled, his face changed and the atmosphere felt lighter.
Why are smiles contagious?
"Previous studies had shown that when we look at a smiling face we activate a group of nerve cells called mirror neurons, which drive us to smile. The phenomenon is evident in babies, who smile back at the person who smiles at them. "(La Nación, Argentina)
But things go beyond just smiling… Our brain responds to the emotions of others. This includes both positive and negative feelings. The way you feel emotionally will affect how you feel physically.
How can you feel better by smiling?
It is proven that smiling releases serotonin, endorphins, and other natural painkillers in our bodies. Smiling correlates with a reduction of hormones that cause stress and high blood pressure. So do you feel sad and unmotivated? Doing good deeds might help you to get that push to feel better and keep going. Or give your stressed-out boss a nice piece of chocolate :)
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