Husain Mohamed – 21/08/2020 

Believe it or not, by imitating confidence or an optimistic mindset, an individual can actually carry those qualities in their real life. This is according to a study done by researchers at the University of South Australia.

The team have determined that the very act of smiling by simply moving your facial muscles can change your attitude into a more positive one.

According to the report published on The Good News Network, the research assessed the impact of a covert smile on perception of face and body expressions. In order to assess the phenomenon, participants had to hold a pen between their teeth forcing their facial muscles to replicate the movement of a smile. The outcomes from the assessment confirmed that facial muscular activity generates more positive emotions.

The discovery has important insights for mental health, according to the University’s Dr Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos.

“When your muscles say you’re happy, you’re more likely to see the world around you in a positive way, in our research we found that when you forcefully practice smiling, it stimulates the amygdala (the emotional center of the brain) to encourage an emotionally positive state. ”

More importantly, smiling is a Sunnah of our beloved NABI (SAW) and he said, “Even a smile is an act of charity.”

So keep on smiling, even if it isn’t a real one. “Fake it till you make it.”