According to a new study led by Stanford University and published in Nature Human Behaviour, positioning our facial muscles into a smile can actually cause us to feel happier. Researchers collected data from 3,878 participants across 19 countries, using three techniques:

• Mimicking facial expressions of actors seen in photos

• Moving the corners of their mouths to their cheeks using only their facial muscles

• Using the “pen-in-mouth” technique, which moves facial muscles in a simulated smile shape

The study found a noticeable increase in feelings of happiness from people that mimicked smiling photographs or pulled their mouth toward their ears. 

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