Source: Sule Makaroglu/Unsplash 1. Go Outside
New research by Stieger et al. (2022) shows that spending time outside is associated with increased happiness as well as increased satisfaction with our physical appearance. The authors found that when spending time outdoors, whether in the woods, mountains, or at the beach, individuals reported significantly increased satisfaction with their own physical appearance compared with when spending time indoors. Being outdoors even increased satisfaction with body shape and weight. The authors speculate that being outdoors might increase happiness, which then increases our satisfaction with our appearance, or, alternatively, being outdoors might encourage exercise, which can also promote both physical and mental well-being. Future research will be necessary to assess whether being outdoors also makes us look more appealing to others.
2. Take a Break From Social Media
Recent research suggests that social media use triggers us to negatively compare ourselves to others, which leads to more negative self-perceptions. For example, deVries and Kühne (2015) conducted a survey of young adults that assessed Facebook use, the tendency to negatively compare oneself to others on social media, as well as self-perceived attractiveness, social competence, and happiness. Similarly, Sherlock and Wagstaff (2019) conducted an experiment manipulating the content women viewed on Instagram and assessing its impact on self-perceived attractiveness, psychological symptoms, and body satisfaction. The researchers found that social media use was related to negative social comparison, increased feelings of depression and anxiety, and higher body dissatisfaction. Social media use was also negatively related to self-perceived physical attractiveness and social competence. Interestingly, feelings of happiness protected individuals from negative social comparisons on social media (deVries and Kühne, 2015).
3. Smile and Laugh
Smiling makes us more attractive to others. Research shows that smiling faces are rated as more attractive than unsmiling faces. In fact, when we are smiling, we are even rated as more attractive than faces that are better looking, but less happy (Golle et al., 2014). When others see us smile, it enhances activation in the medial orbitofrontal cortex area of the brain, an area associated with reward (O'Doherty et al., 2003). But smiling can also make us feel happier. When we smile it may also cause us to experience happier emotions, although these effects are likely to be small (Coles et al., 2019). Laugh therapy hinges upon this same premise: If you laugh, your brain may interpret that behavior to indicate the experience of more positive emotions. According to van der Wal et al., “laughter-inducing therapies show a promise … but more methodologically rigorous research is needed to provide evidence for this promise.”
Increasing the amount of time one spends outdoors, decreasing the amount of time one spends on social media, and increasing smiling and laughter are simple strategies that may allow us to look and feel more appealing.