Feeling low?Try smiling.Wearing a smile could trick your brain into happiness.

"Even a fake smile could make you feel better.Take for instance,a non-Duchenne smile-（ ）,In a non-Duchenne smile,someone says,'cheese,'and you simply raise the corners of your mouth.It has been shown in many studies that even if you are not happy being in a certain situation,and you just smile,slowly you will start to feel the same situation to be much more okay to be in, "says Dr Sagar Mundada, a consultant psychiatist at Healthspring,Mumbai.He explains that our facial expressions send muscular signals to the brain,making us feel emotions coresponding to the expressions.

Facial feedback hypothesis states that our facial expressions affect our emotions.Ht could hold true not just for happiness,but other emotions as well It is also a good way to keep your emotions in check when you feel overwhelmed by negative emotions such as fear or anger.

"When we smile,we are more likely to experience the emotion of happiness,even though our environment doesn't provide any cue to make us feel happy.Similarly,facial expressions for different emotions evoke physiological changes congruent to that emotion.Therefore,facial expressions not only accompany but also produce emotional experiences,"she adds.

Facial feedback hypothesis could help us regulate our emotions when we are overwhelmed by anger or fear.It helps us experience positive emotions more and avoid negativity."So avoid frowning,if you don't want to feel unhappy.If you don't want to feel angry,stop clenching your teeth" says Mundada.

Dr Shyam Bhat agrees with the facial feedback hypothesis:The mind-body relationship is certainly bilateral each influences the other.And just as moods alterour bodyaswell as facial expressions,alteration of facial expression can influence mood."That said he adds the facial feedback hypothesis does not work always.For instance,smiling may not make someone having amajor depressive disorder feel better immediately.The effects of facial feedback hypothesis are mild and wil not be sustained in people with more serious affective disorders,"argues Bhat.

Moreover, although facial expressions are the most obvious physical manifestation of depression.It affects the entire body,and therefore changing only facial muscle function will not achieve long-term results."A more holistic approach is to use bodywork and yoga,"he says.