The Math of a Smile

I read an interesting article in Psychology Today about the effect that smiling has on your brain. Of the many things that happen when you smile is the release of neuropeptides. The neuropeptides drive the communication within the brain and from the brain throughout the body. Think of an increase of neuropeptides as driving from slow surface streets onto a freeway without traffic. Speed and efficiency increase. Along with the increased communication between neurons, dopamine (another type of neurotransmitter), endorphins and serotonin are also released.

Let’s not forget smiling is contagious!

How is this about math?. 1 smile = increase in neuropeptides.Learning and memory relies on electro-chemical signaling along the neuronal networks in the brain1. Learning changes in the strength of the synaptic connections, can rewire synaptic connections, and can increase volume of the neural transmissions2In summary, smiling increases neuropeptides and your body relaxes, you are more receptive to learning, and you feel better when you smile.

1. Gøtzsche, C. R., & Woldbye, D. P. D. (2016). The role of npy in learning and memory. Neuropeptides, 55, 79–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.npep.2015.09.0102. De, F. N., Yu, A. J., Rankin, C. H., Beets, I., & Chew, Y. L. (2020). The role of neuropeptides in learning: insights from c. elegans.