Fun fact: The original smiley face symbol was designed in 1963 as a morale booster for an in-house happiness program at an insurance company.

 

These days, I find that people are smiling more. Have you noticed? I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we seem to be taming the COVID beast here in the US. There is hope. We are planning vacations. We can hug loved ones. We can interact with others with less worry and stress, according to the CDC at least. There are natural reasons to smile.

 

The power of a smile is profound. When you smile, your brain releases endorphins—the pleasure hormone, which automatically improves your mood. Smiles are also contagious. The theory of mirror neurons shares that if I smile at you, you will likely smile back, therefore improving your mood.

 

So keep smilin’. Continue to foster hope. And let’s raise the average of adult smiles to more than 50 per day.