It feels good to be motivated to smile by happy, joyful events. But this article suggests there are benefits from smiling even if you don't feel like it. Actually, I suspect the article and the research it reports may have the causation backwards. Here are the salient points from the article:
Here are four science-backed reasons why smiling is good for you.
- It can help you through stress
- Smiling could improve your memory
- It may help you live longer
- It makes others feel good
I wonder, though, if maybe the causation is different. Perhaps it is just that happier people smile more, are less stressed, live longer, etc. I'm not convinced that forcing oneself to smile more will make one happier, less stressed, live longer, etc.. If it works, though, great!
The trouble is, it's hard to force oneself to smile when one doesn't feel like smiling. It feels fake and hypocritical.