In looking through past blogs, I found a connection with “Smile! It’s Good for you”, an article from “Stakeholders: Uncensored- Blog Ideas Worth Spreading.” The student author of this blog describes a Ted Talk “The hidden power of smiling” that relates this motto to everyday life as well as to the business world. This student explains through her research that smiling has both health benefits through it’s mood enhancing hormones and reduction in blood pressure, as well as social benefits through the positive connotations that people associate with happy individuals.
It was interesting to learn about the research that has been done with regard to smiling and the workplace. As one can imagine, smiling has outward benefits in that it portrays a positive image of a company through happy employees such that any guests, potential new employees, and business partners etc. who visit the company will be attracted. There are also internal benefits from a better work environment that is created when employees have a positive demeanor. I consider a positive work environment a very important factor to successful work, given the increase in productivity, collaboration, and overall determination to accomplish the task at hand. Even under the stress, exhaustion and frustration that work can bring, it pays to put on a smile.
Despite my assertion that in the work place, people should always put on the happy façade, it would be narrow-minded of me to assume any given person at any given time should be able to easily abide by this motto. I understand that there are numerous extenuating circumstances, both societal and personal, that challenge this “smile mentality.” It is, therefore, of the most utmost importance in my mind to be fully aware of one’s own life circumstances to have the proper perspective compared to other’s lives. It takes some effort to maintain a positive disposition, but the benefits are twofold. It can help put things in perspective in one’s own life, as well as have benefits for those who need a smile most.
Though some may argue that this simple motto of “smiling often” is cavalier, I would direct such opinions to the fact that a smile goes a long way. One’s confidence improves, endorphins increase, and a sense of hope can be brought to those who need the inspiration most.
Doing Well by Doing Good 
I am so glad I came across this post. I definitely agree with the phrase “Smile! It’s good for you!” I find that even at times when it is most difficult, smiling increases your mood tenfold. I personally believe that smiling is, in fact, contagious. You can really brighten someone’s day just by passing a smile their way. I can see how this practice can have many benefits in the work place. The more you smile, the better you will feel, and the more productive you will be. I understand how some may feel like this is a façade, but I think being pleasant in the work place can go a long way. You don’t have to be grinning ear-to-ear all day every day to be happy and productive person. My suggestion, like yours, is to make some effort to smile often. This not only benefits you, but others around you as well.
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This is a behavior I’ve been trying to adopt in recent months. Smiling without reservation has a noticeable (and, albeit, ephemeral) effect on my mood. Smiling just to smile makes it easier to smile when there is reason, and even easier to smile without it. I find that this makes even classes I’d never be excited for more enjoyable.
On another note, I find this also tends to have an unsettling impression on others. It’s not something most of us are accustomed to seeing–someone smiling, fully, just because.
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Really great post! I especially like how you included not only the personal effects a smile can have, but the societal effects. Halfway through your post I was uneasy of the advice that everyone should smile all the time, because that’s not an easy task for many people. High depression rates and the struggles of corporate life make it difficult for some to muster a smile — so I loved that you touched on the outward effects of a smile. You explained that putting on a smile isn’t just going to make your day better through endorphins etc., but it makes another person’s day better — and potentially for someone who needs it most. Smiling is almost a random act of kindness, and a contagious one at that!
I was wondering, though if you could explain what you mean by, “it is of the most utmost importance in my mind to be fully aware of one’s own life circumstances to have the proper perspective compared to other’s lives”? Are you saying you need to gauge your own situation to understand why you’re smiling versus why other people are smiling?
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I’m glad you gained something from my post! Yes, to clarify what I meant about keeping one’s own life circumstances in perspective to others is to always be aware of whether one’s own “lows” are comparable to other’s “lows” and furthermore justifiable for a downtrodden mood. For instance, one may go through a day with irritation from getting late to work and spilling a coffee on themselves on their way into the office. This is by all means unlucky and would cause anyone irritation. This individual, though, should not allow a such mishaps to transfer into their attitude for the day ahead. Meanwhile, someone who is dealing with a family tragedy, a sickness, or something of this nature, has much more reason not to be able to spread the smiles. To sum it up, I think it is critical that people always weigh their grievances in life, such that those that are immaterial do not transfer into a pessimistic attitude. These individuals need to make a concerted effort to put the smile on. They may be able to actually help those who truly need the extra support at a given time in life.
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I really like how you relate smile to the business world. Smile is something we usually ignore in the business environment. When we talk about business etiquette, we always think about dress code, hand shaking, etc. We seldom think about smile. Actually, I think the facial expression is one of the most important impression people make.
Sometimes, it is interesting that people have different opinions about smile in the workplace. Some people think smile shows considerate, soft kind of feeling. When you work in the finance area, especially investment banking, where male is the majority, smile prevents women from presenting a strong image. Even though I don’t think this is necessarily true, it is still an interesting point of view I want to share.
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