This is What Makes Us Smile In Grand Junction Colorado

Smiling comes with a number of genuine benefits. It's not always easy, but it can help you to feel better. What makes us smile in Grand Junction, Colorado?

At times such as this, the proper thing is to reach out to the fine people of Western Colorado via social media. I asked on Facebook, "What makes you smile?" Your answers were thoughtful, enlightening, and awesome.

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What Makes Us Smile In Grand Junction Colorado?

We have a million and one things going for us in Grand Junction: beautiful scenery, wonderful people, great schools, etc. When it comes to bringing a smile to our faces, though, what can we count on to do the trick?

The word on the street is little grandchildren can bring a smile to a proud grandparent's face. Looking at your replies, this seems to be a given.

What Does Smiling Have To Do With Anything?

Most of us would agree smiling comes with a number of benefits. According to Intermountain Health, "It’s not always the easiest thing to do, especially after a long and stressful day. But if you can take it upon yourself to crack a smile, you’ll actually feel better." I don't know about you, but right here, right now, I'm game for anything capable of helping me to feel a little better.

How Does Smiling Help?

There are a number of ways in which smiling can help you to feel better. You've certainly heard of endorphins. According to Intermountain Health:

When you smile, your brain releases tiny molecules called neuropeptides to help fight off stress. Then other neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and endorphins come into play too. The endorphins act as a mild pain reliever, whereas the serotonin is an antidepressant. One study even suggests that smiling can help us recover faster from stress and reduce our heart rate.

Well, that settles it. I'm going to start smiling more. A little pain relief would be nice. Antidepressant? Sign me up for that, too.

This Could Be Contagious

Share that smile! Intermountain Health adds, "One Swedish study suggests that we can’t help but react with a smile of our own when we see someone smiling — so it’s an all-out infectious loop of happiness."

Now That We've Established That

Well, now that it's been established smiling is to all our benefit, what are you going to do to make it happen? I asked, "What makes you smile?" Here's a look at what motivates us to show off those pearly whites and brighten everyone's day.