How can I force my smile?

← Habit Directory

Forced Smile

Description

Forced smiling is a simple and easy technique to give yourself a quick mood-boost! Forcing yourself to smile can trick your brain into believing you are actually happy and release the corresponding neurotransmitters [1].

How to Do It

Just smile for 2-3 minutes.

Benefits

Momentarily increases feelings of pleasure.

Improves emotional response to stress [2]

Time Commitment

As long as you can hold the smile.

Why it works

Forced smiling involves a process called facial feedback. By producing the facial expression of a particular emotion on your face, your brain gets tricked into believing that you are actually experiencing this emotion [2]. A cascade of neurophysiological processes corresponding to that emotion are set in motion.

Suggested Frequency

As often as you can.

Supporting Studies and Articles

Kraft, T. L., & Pressman, S. D. (2012). Grin and bear it: The influence of manipulated facial expression on the stress response. Psychological Science, 23(11), 1372–1378. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612445312
Söderkvist, S., Ohlén, K., & Dimberg, U. (2018). How the Experience of Emotion is Modulated by Facial Feedback. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 42(1), 129–151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-017-0264-1

Side Effects

None

Required Equipment

None

Suggested Time of Day

Whenever you feel you want to boost your mood.

Notes

Increases in pleasure do not persist after 5 minutes [1] .
You can also put a pen between your teeth and bite it gently. This will activate the same key muscles that are involved in a genuine smile.