When life feels stressful, we rarely think to smile. Surprisingly, research reveals that this simple expression does more than signal happiness. It can actually influence our internal feelings and even impact how our bodies recover from stressful situations.

Smiling Through Stress

In one interesting study, researchers asked people to do stressful tasks while holding chopsticks in their mouths. For some, the chopsticks made them smile in a way that reached their eyes (these are called Duchenne smiles). Others made regular smiles, and a third group kept their faces neutral.

The results? Those who smiled—whether they realized it or not—had:

• Calmer hearts: Smiling participants recovered from stress more quickly.
• Protected mood: Smiling helped maintain positive emotions, even during difficult tasks.
• Extra boost with Duchenne smiles: Genuine smiles gave a slight edge in recovery compared to neutral expressions.

Put simply, smiling did more than show how people felt. It helped shape both their emotions and their physical reactions. This connects to a bigger idea in psychology called the facial feedback hypothesis. This idea states that our facial expressions not only show our feelings, but also help create them.

Scientists have found that:

Why This Matters

Smiling may have a small effect, but it happens repetitively every day. Our faces and emotions are closely linked. Even a gentle smile can help you:

• Recover from stressful moments faster
• Hold onto positive emotions longer
• Shift your perspective in subtle but powerful ways

The Takeaway

The next time you’re feeling tense, try this gentle experiment: smile — especially a genuine one. It might feel awkward at first, but your body and mind could respond with a little more calm and resilience.

Sometimes, finding a bit more ease in life isn’t about changing what’s happening around you. It can start with changing your expression. A simple smile might help you feel calmer, stronger, and more positive, whatever comes your way.

Reference

Kraft, T. L., & Pressman, S. D. (2012). Grin and bear it. Psychological Science, 23(11), 1372–1378. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612445312