Four Special Benefits of Smiling and Other Body Language Tricks
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You know what they say: a smile away keeps the doctor away!
Okay, so that may not be how the saying goes. However. It’s true that the act of smiling can do wonders for us. Psychologists often tell us to smile more to feel happier and handle stress better. But did you know that smiling can improve your business?
Smiling doesn’t only bring positivity to yourself, but it can also give your colleagues and seniors at work. In addition, smiling can help you establish a leadership role and convince your peers to trust you. Here’s what you need to know about the benefits of smiling and positive body language at work.
The Power of Positive Body Language
First, let’s explain body language. It’s the non-verbal way that we communicate our feelings through postures, facial expressions, and gestures. If you see someone fidgeting with their hands and pulling their arms into their body, you can tell they are nervous or shy. Even though they don’t say how they feel, the visual alone gives you a good idea of the person.
Now, positive body language is the way that you can instill confidence and trustworthiness without saying a word. People are drawn to those who exude a charismatic and likable personality. You can bring someone into your confidence through body language tricks, from standing straight to maintaining eye contact.
Conversely, negative body language will draw people away. If you are nervous, frustrated, or upset, coworkers are more likely to step away. How you portray your personality can all depend on the body language you show.
The Benefits of Smiling On Your Life and Your Work
Now that we know how body language can help you at work, it’s time to see how smiling can help. A smile is one of the universal signs of happiness. Whether genuine or not, people feel happier and more relaxed when they see someone smiling. That feeling can do wonders for your colleagues and customers alike. Here’s are some benefits of smiling that you might want to start applying at work.
It Makes You Feel Better
Like we said before, the act of smiling brings in positive energy. It’s not just a feeling. Studies on the brain have shown that smiling can trigger dopamine and serotonin, chemicals that influence our moods. These chemicals have been linked to stress relief, anxiety control, and relaxation. In other words, smiling can make your brain feel happier and uplifted. That’s why positive psychologists often tell us to fake our smiles until the mood settles. The more often we smile, the better our attitudes will be overall. Plus, smiling uses fewer muscles to work than frowning or other facial expressions. That makes it much easier to start beaming from ear to ear.
It Makes You Seem Friendly
Imagine you decide to walk into a room and talk to the first person you see. When you go inside, you see two people. One is stoic and stern, his expression blank and his posture tense. The other is smiling, his expression calm and his posture strong. You’re likely to go and talk to the second person, even if you don’t know who he is.
That’s one of the benefits of smiling when meeting others. People will automatically feel drawn to you. Those who often smile and greet their colleagues are considered nice and warm. They might be approached more often for various reasons, like being invited for lunch or chatting about their day.
The more you smile, the more likely that people will trust you. Giving out a sense of trust is very important, especially if you want to settle into a new job or start acting as a leader. When people feel that they can believe in you, they’re more likely to listen to what you say and follow your instructions. It’s easier and itcan mobilize your coworkers to do more and do better at their job.
It Changes Your Environment
Beyond how it affects your colleagues, smiling can drastically change your workplace. Working in an office where people smile and greet each other warmly can boost your confidence and energy. You’re more likely to enjoy your job if you see other people enjoying their work too. More importantly, you can lessen any tension or awkwardness for new and withdrawn partners.
Smiling also affects how your customers or clients feel when they enter the office. A happy office makes you seem personable and genuine. That atmosphere will help them relax and trust your advice or services. The warmer the reception, the better your customers will feel. In other words, a cheerful mood to the office that welcomes your colleagues and clients is one of the best benefits of smiling you can get.
It Energizes You
One of the benefits of smiling is that it can give your mind just enough patience and energy to get the job done. When you feel exhausted and need rest, a smile can relax your body. Remember the brain chemicals we talked about earlier? They are good energy boosters that can calm your body and give you enough strength to do your job. If you smile and tell yourself, “One more video” or “One more report,” you can trick your brain into giving you more fuel to complete your tasks.
Five More Positive Body Language Signs to Use
These four benefits of smiling can do wonders for your business. Through a smile, you can improve your mood, provide a welcoming atmosphere, convince others to trust you, and energize your brain for more work. However, there are other ways to exude confidence and show positivity through body language. Here are five ways you can non-verbally show your strength and warmth in the office.
1. Eye contact
Maintaining eye contact is an excellent way to engage other people. Whenever you look into their eyes as you speak, you get them invested in your words. They’re more likely to feel they are part of the conversation rather than just listening on the sidelines. This gesture also works when you’re the one listening to them. Maintaining eye contact shows the speaker that you are paying attention.
Through eye contact, you can build trust and connect with other people as you speak.
2. A straight posture
Slouching isn’t just bad for your health. Visually, it also makes people think you are bored or lazy. That’s not a good sign if you’re at work and people think you’re uninterested. They might not trust you or ask for your help. By keeping your back straight, you show a level of professionalism and confidence. It makes you seem prepared for whatever is thrown your way.
For those who tend to slouch, it’s okay if you slip back into the habit unconsciously. What’s important is that you take to pause and check your posture. It’ll help your back and help you form the good habit of keeping your body straight.
3. Limited hand gestures
One of the most distracting things that can happen during a speech or lecture is when the listener starts to play with their hands. Having animated gestures, like tapping your fingers on the desk or cracking your knuckles, can make you seem impatient or uninterested. It’s also distracting to the one speaking. To show positive body language, learn to reel in your gestures. Use powerful signs, like clapping your hands or pointing to someone, sparingly. When done right, they can drive the point of your speech or proposal home.
4. Nodding
When you listen to someone, they might pause at specific points and ask if you are paying attention. Even if you have been keeping eye contact, they might feel unsure about what you’ve heard. That’s because they know you’re hearing them, but they can’t tell if you’re actively listening, which means you understand and are keeping track of their words. To make it easier, take the time to nod when you hear something you agree with. By nodding, you let the speaker know that you are paying attention and understand their point.
5. Personal distance
How close we are to a person is as vital as the gestures that we show them. If you’re too close to them, you might seem invasive. However, if you’re standing too far, they might think you can’t hear them. Knowing the proper distance to stand, especially in a workplace, is crucial to maintaining a conversation. To keep it simple, stay around four feet apart from the people you’re with to allow them enough space to talk and listen without feeling awkward. If you’re close to the person, like a good friend or a trusted colleague, you can close the gap if they’re comfortable with it.
The Bottom Line
One of the best benefits of smiling is that it can change the way you live and work. It can trigger the chemicals in your mind that help you relax and feel energized. It can also make you more likable and trustworthy in the eyes of your colleagues and customers. Aside from smiling, you can also show positivity with other non-verbal signs, like maintaining eye contact and straight posture. By doing all of these, you can inject more positivity into your workplace and exude a sense of confidence to the people around you.
- Eastwood, P. (2021, August 18). The Importance of Positive Body Language In The Workplace. Fiore Group Training.
- GCFLearnFree.org. (2019, January 10). Body Language.
- Goman, C. K. (2020, December 28). The Power of Smile in Business. BBN Times.
- Gruessner, V. (2019, January 4). Ways to Incorporate Positive Body Language in the Workplace. Runrun.It Blog.
- Patnaik, T. Accessed on July 7, 2022. 5 Benefits of Smiling That Will Improve Your Business. Delivering Happiness.
- Sutevski, D. (2022, January 13). 5 Ways Your Smile Can Improve Your Business. Entrepreneurs Box.
- Williams, P. L. (2019, July 17). 5 Powerful Benefits of a Smile in Business. LinkedIn.
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