Smiling Can Boost Your Mood

Following a review of data from 14 studies published in the last fifty years, researchers conclude that smiling can make people feel happier, scowling can evoke angrier feelings, and frowning can result in the sensation of sadness. Lead researcher Dr. Nicholas Coles writes, “We don’t think that people can smile their way to happiness… But these findings are exciting because they provide a clue about how the mind and the body interact to shape our conscious experience of emotion. We still have a lot to learn about these facial feedback effects, but this meta-analysis put us a little closer to understanding how emotions work.” Psychological Bulletin, April 2019