World Smile Day is celebrated on the first Friday of October each year.
This year’s theme is “Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile”
A smile can change the direction my day goes. It is so hard to stay upset or sad when you are smiling. A smile can stimulate our brain to feel good far more effectively than even chocolate, the universal happiness bringer can. It is an interesting loop where smiling makes our brain feel good and tells it to smile. We smile in response and our brain feels good. See what’s happening there?
As a result, smiling can alter our brain thanks to that wonderful feedback loop. In the process, the brain maintains a scorecard of our smiles that records how often we smile and in general, our emotional state.
Your day will go the way the corners of your mouth turn.
So naturally, smiling brings a lot of health benefits – as if you need a reason to smile!
Smiling reduces stress improving our mental and physical health.
Smiling generates positive emotions. Ever notice how much happier we feel with children around? It is because they smile more – like 400 times compared to happy people who smile 40-50 times. The average number for an adult is 20 – how pathetic is that?
I was shocked to read that India ranks 117 out of 158 on the World Happiness Index as per the World Happiness Report, 2015 – and we can change that by simply smiling more!
This World Smile Day
… let’s pledge to smile!
Next time you see someone, just smile!
In the elevator.
At your neighbor.
At traffic signals.
At your friend.
At a stranger.
No need to wait for a special occasion. Why, you can even fake it till you make it!
If you still need reasons to smile, here are 8!
Here are some of my favorite smile quotes:
A smile is a curve that sets everything straight
Everyone smiles in the same language
A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose
Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.
The world always looks brighter from behind a smile.
A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you’re at home.
If you don’t have a smile, I’ll give you one of mine.
Smiling is infectious,
You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And I started smiling too.
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
Every smile makes you a day younger.
Wear a smile — one size fits all.
People are not perfect (except when they smile).
You’re never fully dressed without a smile.
It takes seventeen muscles to smile and forty-three to frown.
A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it. Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give. ~Author Unknown
If you’re smiling, no matter where you are or what you’re doing, you’re on vacation.
Smiling is free therapy
Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you’ll start to see a big difference in your life.
Did you smile today?
How about making it a point to smile at at least five people every day? ♥
World Smile Day 2015 – Remember the theme is “Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile!”.
I love this day. I agree that a smile can change so much — it can lift a random person’s mood if you smile at them. Days when I feel like crap, I have to remind myself to smile or even just smile at myself in the mirror. It helps! Thanks for spreading smiles Vidya!
Such a positive post…Can you see me smile?
i didn’t know India was so low on the smile index and that grown ups smile so less…I’ll make it a point to remember to smile more…a small experiment and see how it goes
smile is indeed contagious … sometimes it’s even more beautiful when it comes from strangers … loved all he quotes you shared 😀
I was interested to read recently that the Russian peoples tend not to smile. Sort of sad, no? Anyway, a smile also conveys over the phone and thus makes conversations that much pleasant even when not face-to-face.
Hi Vidya! I SO agree that a smile is the best thing we can wear and the most remarkable transformation possible. And did you read that poem I posted on my blog about “wrinkles?” Who cares about them when you’re wearing a smile. I LOVE the idea of World SMILE Day! ~Kathy
Yes, Kathy! I did read the poem -remember I said I am printing it out? 🙂 Such a lovely poem! I also shared it with my friends! Thank you!
Ah yes Vidya….sorry…you DID tell me that you would be printing it out. Every time I think of it myself I SMILE too. Thanks for the reminder….
Loved your post vidya and I was smiling from the time I started reading your post till I was commenting here…. thanks for sharing .. I always loved smiling and It did a lot of good to me… and I continue to smile for it enhances my face value. They say the best speed on the road of life is sixty smiles per hour.
Angela – Love the phrase 60 smiles per hour! Thank you for your kind words!
When I am in deep thought, I have been asked what was wrong because i guess I look…sad when i am not! My mom said my grandmother (Oma) was the same. I always make a point to smile even on a bad day because it helps get through that day. My clients often feel better and I always try to smile. My hubby, my fur babies, my friends, a joke, my blog, my card making, all make me smile. I wish more would do so. What were the top 5 countries?? I have to check this out