The history of World Smile Day
The ‘smiley’ is one of the world’s most recognisable icons. It was first created by graphic artist Harvey Ball. Harvey intended his symbol to spread good will and cheer, however over time the commercialisation of his ‘smiley’ left him feeling that the message was lost. His solution was to declare the first Friday of each October as World Smile Day—a day of joy and fun—encouraging acts of kindness.
Hey that sounds like us!
Our practice philosophy is to not only provide the best and safest dental work, but to do so in a genuinely caring and kind way…after all, we are about smiles! We see our clients as people (not patients) and we believe that what we do, can help to make your day a little better on leaving than when you came in—especially if you’re worried, scared, tired or stressed.
The science of kindness and giving
We know that secretly everyone has a yearning to be cared about, but it’s not always easy to express that. So we aim to go above and beyond to show care to everyone. The great, and perhaps counter intuitive part is that science has shown multiple benefits of kindness and giving:
- Aside from making the recipient happy, people who help and give to others increase their own happiness.[1]
- The act of giving causes the pleasure and reward centres of the giver’s brain to light up in the same way as if they were the gift’s recipient. Neuroscience has shown that the chemical trifecta of happiness (dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin) are all triggered when we give. This has a flow on effect as dopamine helps us with motivation; serotonin helps us to sleep, digest and learn better; and oxytocin—the cuddle chemical—helps us to feel nurtured and comforted. [2]
- People who are generous tend to have better health, and giving to others can be as effective at lowering blood pressure as medication or exercise! [3]
- Giving helps us to lower stress and feel more connected to others. (There’s a reason why Scrooge has no friends and always looks wrinkly, angry and grey!) [4]
- Even visualising outcomes (such as thinking about genuinely giving) can make us feel more positive. Looking for positive opportunities to give, overcomes our negativity bias and trains our brains toward optimism. [5]
The best thing is that acts of kindness can be contagious and may inspire several more acts of kindness!
We are so on-board!
This October we’ve come up with a simple but thoughtful plan. To say thanks for trusting and supporting us, we’ve created some special message stickers to help brighten your day. What’s important to know is that the intent is real and we’ll choose them whole-heartedly and individually just for you.
The twist
As our friends, you get to have some fun too! We’d love for you to get in on the giving and choose stickers for our staff, that reflect your thoughts on them.
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill
Together we’re hoping to make October a feel-good event that brings, to us all, the smiles that Harvey Ball would have wished for. A brighter world, a brighter day, brighter clients and a brighter workplace! Happy Smiles Month xx
You can win!
To celebrate our Smile Month we're giving away a copy of "The Giving Way to Happiness: Stories and Science Behind the Life-Changing Power of Giving." by Jenny Santi
Like and Share our Facebook post to win!
ABOUT THE BOOK: A guide to how giving can be the key to happiness—combining the latest research with firsthand accounts. As a Philanthropy advisor, Jenny Santi has met some of the world’s most notable and inspiring change-makers. Despite their diverse backgrounds, each of these people has related to Santi that the thing in their life that has given them the most joy is the simple act of giving. In this inspiring book, Santi shares how they found purpose, healed from past wounds, and discovered meaning beyond material success— to inspire readers to discover the power of giving in their own lives.
References
[1] Happy People Become Happier Through Kindness: A Counting Kindnesses Intervention
[2] The neuroscience of giving.