Special Feature: Something To Smile About

Smile is a universally accessible language. A smile essentially means the same—​warmth and happiness.

Aside from its inherent power to bridge the gap between cultural divides, smiling has other lesser known effects that are surely worth smiling about.

Smiling changes our mood

Despite a gloomy disposition or temperament, once we start to smile we consequently trick our body into believing that we are actually happy. This in turn alters our mood for the better.

Smiling relieves stress

All the stress from a hectic schedule and demanding workload tend to show up on our faces through wrinkles, pimples and what-not, but what we don't know is that we can actually fight stress through good old smiling. Stress is more of an attitude than a condition so in the end it's really just a matter of choosing "happy" thoughts.

Smiling  boosts the immune system

Smiling relaxes our body and improves the functions of our immune system. Hence, we can wave illness goodbye with a simple smile.

Smiling lowers your blood pressure

Research shows that smiling significantly reduces the blood pressure so if we want to veer away from serious health issues like high-blood pressure, stroke or cardiac arrest, we might as well start showing our biggest grins.

Smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin

These three can be considered as natural drugs for they can automatically give a person his/her much needed "high." So next time you feel a bit lethargic, flash a smile, and experience how these happy pills do wonder to your body.

Smiling is healthy, free, and contagious. Why deprive the world  of this gift if we can all just go out and paint it with the many shades of warmth and happiness one smile at a time?