10 Proven Reasons Why Smiling Is Contagious

Is smiling contagious? Yes! Scientists have proved it: As a result of smiling, neuropeptides and neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins) are released into the body, giving immediate physiological benefits that those around us may quickly sense. That's why a smile has the power to lift your mood as well as the moods of others! Let's look into the science behind the power of the body's hormones to uncover ten reasons why smiling can spread health benefits from within to those around us.

How Dopamine Makes Smiling Contagious

The neurotransmitter known as dopamine is connected to motivation and enjoying pleasant rewards. Here are some ways that dopamine makes smiling infectious:

1. Smiling Feels Like a Compliment

Someone who smiles at you says they like you and find happiness in you. Your brain releases dopamine from this action, making you feel good. Being on the receiving end of a smile feels like getting a compliment because it shows that you are worth someone’s time and attention.

2. Smiling Makes Us More Attractive

When we smile, we lift our facial muscles and brighten our faces. A brighter face also triggers the release of dopamine in our brains, which makes us feel happy. And when we are happy, we tend to smile more, which makes us appear more attractive!

Smiling is also a way of showing positive emotions, making us more approachable and likable. People are drawn to those who make them feel good; a simple expression of happiness can greatly uplift others.

3. Smiling Makes Us Appear Friendly, Agreeable, and Trustworthy

People feel we are interested in them and want to connect with them when we smile and make eye contact. Because of this, smiling is frequently interpreted as a trait of amiability, friendliness, and dependability.

A positive connection can make us feel happy and more positive as well. By conveying a sense of warmth and openness with an infectious smile, we make other people feel more comfortable around us.

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”

— Charles Dickens

How Serotonin Makes Smiling Contagious

As a mood enhancer, serotonin plays a vital role in happiness, which explains why:

4. Smiling Lifts Our Mood Naturally

When you smile, do you notice how it lifts your mood? The main reason for this sensation is that smiling triggers the release of serotonin—hormones that have a mood-boosting effect. Smiling also activates the brain's left hemisphere, which is responsible for positive emotions.

And because smiling is contagious, seeing someone else smile can automatically put us in a better mood too! These factors all work together to make smiling an excellent tool for elevating our mood, bringing the happiness we need to practice gratitude.

5. Smiling Serves as an Antidepressant

Smiling is a natural antidepressant for several reasons.

• Serotonin has mood-boosting properties that can help to improve your overall sense of well-being without traditional medicine.
• Smiling also promotes relaxation, which can help alleviate anxiety and depression.
• Because smiling is infectious, this positive feedback loop creates a more positive and uplifting mood.

So next time you're feeling down, try flashing a grin. It might make you feel better.

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6. A Smile Shows We're Pleased to See Someone

The gesture of a smile is a universal sign that indicates pleasure, happiness, or approval. A smile expresses many positive emotions, from joy and excitement to gratitude and affection. Often, a smile is a simple way to show that we are happy to see the other person.

Smiling is a relatively effortless way to communicate our positive feelings, and it is often infectious (in a good way): Seeing someone smile tends to make us do the same as well.

Flashing a smile is also an excellent way to defuse tense or hostile situations—it can be a sign of goodwill or friendship. So remember this the next time you see someone you're happy to see: Look them in the eye and smile sincerely.

7. Smiling Is Only Associated with Positive Emotions

Have you ever noticed that smiling is frequently linked to positive emotions like joy and happiness but is never linked to negativity? For instance, have you ever cried after seeing someone smile? Most likely not. And the fact that smiling is imitated and copied may help to explain why.

• Seeing someone grinning at us triggers the muscles in our faces to mirror that expression. This reaction happens automatically and unconsciously, and it can make us feel happier.
• Another reason may be that smiling is seen as a sign of submission. In other words, when we smile, we tell others we don't pose a danger. Then, people may be more inclined to trust and work with us.

How Endorphins Make Smiling Contagious

Endorphins help relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve your sense of well-being, which explains why:

8. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System

There are many possible reasons why smiling boosts your immune system.

• It helps to reduce stress levels (and chronic stress can weaken the immune system).
• The act of releasing endorphins has mood-boosting and pain-relieving effects.
• Smiling is a form of social interaction, with social support beneficial for the immune system.

Interestingly, smiling helps to increase the production of antibodies, which fight off infection. This fact may be another reason why endorphins give your immunity a boost.

9. Smiling Relaxes the Body

There is some scientific evidence to suggest that smiling can help to relax the body. Many studies show that smiling activates the release of neuropeptides that help to reduce stress.

Additionally, smiling has been shown to lower heart rate and blood pressure, both indicative of a relaxed state. While more research is needed to confirm these findings, the act of smiling could help to create a sense of relaxation in the body.

10. Smiling Lowers Your Heart Rate

When you smile, the muscles in your face send signals to your brain that trigger the release of endorphins to a calming effect on the body, which can help to lower your heart rate.

With the release of serotonin, the combination of hormones lowers your heart rate and makes you feel more at ease. There are other benefits of having a lower heart rate, including:

• Reduced stress levels
• Improved blood circulation
• Increased efficiency of the heart muscle

Is Smiling Contagious?

Scientists have proven that smiling activates the release of three happy hormones: dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. These hormones are associated with positive emotions that make us happier, more attractive, and more trustworthy.

A smile is a universal sign that indicates pleasure, happiness, or approval. It can express many positive emotions, from joy and excitement to gratitude and affection. I believe the main reason why smiling is contagious is that it conveys such warmth and openness that other people feel more comfortable and happy around us.

Sources and Further Reading

• What's the science behind a smile? | British Council
  Ding Li, he winner of FameLab in Hong Kong, explains her winning presentation on the science of smiling.
• 10 Big Benefits of Smiling | Very Well Mind
  Smiling has benefits, even when you’re faking it. Learn more about why and how smiling can change your mood, stress levels, and social interactions for the better.
• Smiling Can Trick Your Brain Into Happiness — And Boost Your Health
  A smile spurs a powerful chemical reaction in the brain that can make you feel happier.
• The Real Health Benefits of Smiling and Laughing | SCL Health
  Flash those pearly whites and feel the benefits! Discover why smiling is healthy, can boost our mood and alter our brain chemistry.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2022 Louise Fiolek