I once brainstormed a college essay with a particularly cheerful student who wrote about her practice of consciously smiling at people. She would walk through the hallways at school and smile at anyone who looked like they needed a pick-me-up—the student who looked stressed or unhappy, the new kid in school who appeared unsure, the easy target who was accustomed to hurtful barbs rather than warm grins. She said they almost always smiled back. She was naturally positive, it came easily to her, and sharing the smile felt like an easy way to give even a small lift to someone’s day.
That might sound idealistic or naïve, but it turns out she was onto something. Here’s a short article by Shawn Achor, Harvard researcher and author, demonstrating why smiles really are contagious. And the linked study within the article demonstrated that when an overtly positive person entered a room full of people:
“…his jovial mood was picked up by the rest of the group almost instantly. Incredibly, the performance of each individual increased, and the group’s ability to achieve its goal improved.”
You can actually improve the performance of both individuals and groups, and help them reach their goals, just by bringing some positivity to the table. It turns out smiling really is contagious.
By the way, that smiley student went on to her first-choice college, UC Santa Barbara. Today, she’s a merchandiser for a children’s clothing company. And she’s yet to share a single smile-free photo on social media.