Put on a Brave Face!
Or… should we?
1 While we are all well aware that moving home, starting a new job or receiving bad news, for example, can considerably raise anxiety levels, it's not always as easy to make the connection between other physical health problems that we may experience as a result of stress. It would seem logical to ascribe a racing heart and raised blood pressure to nervousness and apprehension, but would we automatically link those nerves to an upset stomach or back pain? The truth is that our emotions can trigger a host of physical reactions and that is why we need to concern ourselves with maintaining our emotional health.
2 "That's easier said than done", you might say, and you would be right. Emotions are not easy to control, particularly negative ones. So, is it actually possible to make ourselves feel less negative? 'How to become a happier you' is a hot topic at the moment and we are inundated with advice and tips online. There is an abundance of websites with surveys, questionnaires, tips and shared personal experiences available to us. Even schools are running mindfulness classes for their students as part of the curriculum.
3 A new take on the topic, based on the link between emotion and facial expression, is that rather than frown when we're feeling low or upset, we should try smiling. Studies have shown that facial expressions not only reflect emotions, but influence them. In other words, we may smile because we are happy, but we can also feel happy because we smile!
4 So, do other facial expressions affect our mood too? Apparently, they do. There are studies that show that if we are experiencing pain, yet endeavour not to show it on our faces, the degree of pain we experience can be less intense than if we wince and frown. Likewise, if we show that we are frightened when faced with danger, this can actually exacerbate the fear that we're feeling. According to the experts, this is because the way we experience emotion does not just involve the brain; it is far more complex. However, not all scientists are in complete agreement over the benefit of suppressing emotions or faking facial expressions to influence our moods. Research suggests that although faking emotions can help in the short term, continually suppressing emotions can have a negative effect on our general health. If the face is not involved in expressing an emotion, that emotion may eventually find another outlet, such as depression, a pessimistic outlook, or even physical illness.
5 Linked with this latter belief is the concept of emotional labour, which was first identified in 1983. A recent interpretation of the term, started by an American journalist in 2017, references the need for people to concern themselves with routine chores that often result in dissatisfaction. However, the term was originally invented to describe the requirement for certain employees, for instance those in the service industries such as flight attendants and shop assistants, to present a happy face to clients, however bad they may be feeling. In other words, it is part of their job to pretend to be happy and hide any negative emotions. This faking of emotion can contribute to emotional exhaustion, leaving the person drained with little emotional energy left.
6 Whilst wallowing in negativity is not going to help anyone, there are definitely times when we should allow ourselves to show our true feelings. Balancing when or when not to express emotions is something we need to be aware of for the sake of our health.