Study: Smiling May Reduce Stress Response

Experts say deliberately smiling may modestly improve mood and help the body recover from stress, potentially influencing cortisol and positive-feeling brain chemicals. Stanford psychologist Jeanne Tsai describes research on the facial-feedback hypothesis, including experiments in which people induced to smile while watching a pleasant clip reported greater amusement. Neuropsychologist Judy Ho says smiling can be one coping tool for people experiencing anxiety or depression, while emphasizing it is not a stand-alone solution. Some research cited by Ho found lower heart rates during recovery from stressful tasks among people who smiled than among those who kept neutral expressions.