Smiling can have hidden meanings and act as a mask for those experiencing depression or other mental health issues. While smiling may boost mood through the release of "neuropeptides", it is not always an accurate sign of happiness. Nineteenth century French doctor Duchenne De Boulogne identified 19 different types of smiles related to emotions like joy, aggression, and contempt. Recent studies show that over 70% of young adults in the UK experience stress-related issues like depression. Improving mental wellbeing may involve connecting with others, being physically active, taking notice of one's surroundings, learning new things, and helping others through acts of kindness.

1. Mental health research
It’sno lie thatsmilingcomeswithitsbenefits,tonotjustyourself butmanyothers.Butis smiling
alwaysa signof happiness?A smilealone comes acrosstousas the one usingitis happywhichcan
alsoaffectour attitude forthe day puttingusinmore of a lightenedmood.But, asanythingelse in
thisworld,a smile canhave hiddenmeanings becomingamaskfor those wantingtoavoidbeing
questioned orpushedabouttheirtrue feelings.Forinstance,depressionisone of the mostcommon
hiddenmental healthissues.Noone wantstoopen-uptoexpresshow theytrulyfeel,hidingaway
for anyof manypossible reasons. Maybe theyare indenial?Ormaybe theybelieve noone cares or
that theywouldbe calledoutfor“attentionseeking”.
Positivelythough,smilingdoesdoitself agreatimpacton anyone wearingone asit can naturally
boostsone’s mood,evenif the smile beganbeingfake.Bysmiling, the brainreleasestinymolecules
called‘neuropeptides’ whichhelps tobringstresslevelsdown byloweringbothbloodpressure and
heartrate no matterthe situation. So,inconclusionof thisfacial expression, smilingisbasically a
successful chemical serotonin.
“It’s easier to get what you want with a smile than the tip of the sword.” - William
Shakespeare
Discoveredby aFrench Doctor namedDuchenne De Boulogne nineteendifferenttypesof smileshad
beenidentified.Belongingtothe 19th
century,thisman wasand is,consideredtobe,one of the
pioneersof neurologyaswell asanauthorityon smiling. Experimentingonaman foundtosuffer
fromfacial insensitivity,the doctorwassuccessful inconnecting many electrodestothe guy'sface
withoutanyissue of causinghimdiscomfort.This hadledonto the doctor to identifythe different
groupsof musclesthatare involvedwithfacial expressions.
The firstsix of the nineteensmileswere foundtobe more genuine reflectingoff joy,pleasure and
happinessasexamples.Whereasthe lastnumbersrelatedtofear, angerand contempt. Ratherthan
listingeveryresult,the categoriesinclude real smiling,aggression,social smilesandsadsmiles. All
thisaboutthe Doctor and the nineteensmileshadbeenfoundonthe website linked: There Are 19
Different Types of Smiles - Exploring your mind
Carryingon the topicof stressthough, 74% of UK goersclaimto experience extremestress-related
momentsoverthe pastyear. Mostly affectingage rangersbetween18-23.These affectshave
resultedinsymptomsof depression.
Foundthroughthislink...Howcommonare mental healthproblems?|Mind,the mental health
charity- helpformental healthproblems Statisticswerefoundgivingnumberedpercentagesof
people strugglingwithdifferentissues. Statingone infourwill experience anissue inthe categoryof
mental health everyyearwithone insix reportingtofindthemselvestroublingwithacommon
mental healthproblemwhichwouldinclude anxietyanddepressionfoundalmostweekly.Following
the link,more specificdiagnoseshave beenaddedin showingexactnumbersforanxiety,depression,
phobias,OCD,etcetc. Notjustthe answersforeach diagnosis,butalsoimpactsfromthemresults
mentioninghowtheycan unfortunately leaddownwards ontosuicidal thoughtsand self-harm.
Anothernote,one'sdiagnosiscanbe knowntochange manytimesduringtheirlifetime.
Article links the information mentioned hadbeenpickedfrom:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.cnbc.com/amp/202
0/10/21/survey-more-than-7-in-10-gen-zers-report-depression-during-

2. pandemic.html&ved=2ahUKEwiAgPqIhPfzAhWNgv0HHfIcCZkQFnoECAQQBQ&usg=AOvVaw
1p5GmHQ-QfhKQtW7PUhecq&ampcf=1
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.sclhealth.org/blog/
2019/06/the-real-health-benefits-of-smiling-and-
laughing/&ved=2ahUKEwif_Lewg_fzAhUXiP0HHVYdBgoQFnoECCEQBQ&usg=AOvVaw3JzPa
YXbSwYjywzFwMzhVU
Finding some YouTube videos that have to do with mental health, all that had been found
will be talked about below:
‘10 Hidden Signs Of Smiling Depression’ - https://youtu.be/WohmUx7bmGs
According to a study given in 2019, in the US alone, twenty-six percent in the age group of
eighteen and above, or even one in four people, have been found with a diagnosable mental
disorder. With so many getting affected, it is only recently that we have begun opening up
and recognizing all impact caused by these disorders.
Symptoms include: a sudden change of appetite, whether that’s eating too much or too little.
Fatigue, sleeping habits being affected, forcedhappiness, loss of concentration, a lack of
interest, physical pains, increase of pessimism, anger, and irritability. Even becoming
philosophical is a hidden sign.
Depression looks different in every case, whether that be someone has a few of the
symptoms, many, or possibly even all of them.
'The hidden power of smiling’ - https://youtu.be/U9cGdRNMdQQ
A research project coming from the Wayne State University who looked into pre-1950
baseball cards of the Major League players, it had been found that the span of a players
smile could predict the span of one's life.
Those whodidsmile intheirpictureswere destinedtolive longergivinganaverage of eightyyears
of life.Asof thoughwhodidn’tsmile,passedawaysooner.

3. Using3D ultrasoundtechnology,we now know thatasbabiesare developinginthe womb,they
appearto be smiling.Thenasone isborn,babieswouldcontinuetosmile,justmostlyintheirsleep.
So technically,we were all bornsmiling. Thatgoesforblindnew-bornsto,smilingawayatthe voice
of a human.
Withmore of a third of the human population smilingovertwentytimesperday,whereaslessthan
fourteenpercentof ussmile lessthanfive timeseachday.Smilinguptofourhundredtimesevery
day,the awardthere goestowardschildren.
Beingevolutionarycontagious,itisverydifficulttofrown whilstbeingaroundsomeone withasmile
upontheirface due to the controlsof our on facial musclesbeingsuppressedwhilstnearanyone
happy.Whethersomeone hasafake or real smile,ourresponse iswhathelpsusdetermine how the
otheris feeling.
CharlesDarwin,the facial feedbackresponse theory:“Eventhe simulationof anemotiontendsto
arouse it inour minds.”
Britishresearchershadfoundthatwithone smile,the brainwouldstimulatethe same wayasit
wouldtake upto 2,000 bars of chocolate to do.The same studyagain,alsofoundthe response
wouldalsobe the same as receivingtwenty-five grandpersmile.
“I will neverunderstandall the goodthata simple smile canaccomplish.” - MotherTeresa.
‘The Five Ways to Wellbeing – boosting mental wellbeing’ - The Five Ways to Wellbeing -
boosting mental wellbeing - YouTube
By looking after our mental health, it can help us feel happier and a lot more positive.
Coming from a study, there are only five simple things we can do to help ourselves by
adding these notes to our daily routines.
Connect: Arrange to meet up with someone or even have a chat over the phone. However
you do it, and whoever with, take the time to keep someone company. Even if it is for a five-
minute catch-up, the effort wouldn’t hurt. By doing this, you will feel both supported and
enriched.
Be active: Stretch? Do something sporty? Play a physical game? Dance? You should definitely
find a hobby of interest. Being active everyday causes positive changes to our brain, which
will continue to affect our mood.
Take notice: By paying attention to all that is around you and savouring each given moment,
it will help you in finding what matters most as appreciation can be discovered.
Keep learning: Whether it be looking into something new or discovering something from the
past, learning can boost both ones confidence and self-esteem.
Give: Ranging between your time, patience, words or even a smile, from so many ways you
can give to another, the smallest act will always count. By doing so, positive feelings will
emerge which will also help us feel more satisfied with life itself.