The benefits of laughter as the best medicine and a great cure for stress have been talked about at length by many people. There is adequate research that proves that laughter reduces stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine and dopamine and increases positive hormones like endorphins and neurotransmitters. Laughter has also known to increase the number of cells that produce antibodies and therefore the positive affect of laughter on the overall health and the immune system have been well documented.

However, those that propound the theory of laughter as a stress management technique do not sometimes realize that laughing may not come easy when the mind is preoccupied and tense. When pressures run high and there are deadlines to catch or when you have someone close in an ICU or when you are concentrating and driving hard to catch a train, you may not be in a position to laugh and slow yourself down. The proponents of this theory also state that faking laughter also helps and leads to a positive frame of mind leading to real laughter.

There is no doubt about the fact that laughter does have a fair number of positives. But in cases where it does not come easy, there is the ‘smile’ that can ward off all evil. Have you ever realized that it is impossible to smile without feeling good inside?

This is a simple ‘see-it-yourself’ check that you can do. While you are reading this article, stop for a while and smile. You don’t even need to think of anything specific while you are doing this. Just stop, look up and smile. You will realize that for that second that you are smiling, it feels better inside. You feel lighter and more at ease. Forcing a smile is not as tough as forcing yourself to laugh and you can do that by applying minimal effort.

The other major benefit of a smile is that it brings people together. You can smile at a complete stranger and get talking. A smile is great social magnet and when you smile there are people who are attracted towards you. This leads to making friends; friends who are a great support system if you want to download some thoughts, worries and feelings that you may have. Such friendships that a simple smile can initiate can bring like-minded people together and you can even form hobby groups or reading clubs together. Such activities can take your mind off your worries and make you feel lighter.

Sometimes a smile can help you look at the lighter side of things. When we are stressed, we tend to look at things from a negative point of view. A simple smile can sometimes bring it to our notice that the situation is not so worrisome after all.

A smile can warm hearts and make the most dreadful of situations seem better. And remember since the stressor lies more within you than the external circumstances, it is always better to manage your thoughts to evade the negative effects of stress.