Smiling Your Way to Confidence: The Science Behind a Simple Shift

Your heart is racing, your palms are a little sweaty. You’re about to step into an important meeting, give a presentation, or introduce ourselves in a room full of strangers. Probably the last thing that you feel like doing is smiling!

It might sound simplistic, but science backs it up: smiling can actually make you feel more confident, reduce stress, and change the way people perceive you.

The Science of Smiling and Confidence

Smiling is often associated with happiness, but research shows it can actually create positive emotions rather than just reflect them. This is known as the Facial Feedback Hypothesis, a theory that suggests our facial expressions influence our emotional state.

1. Smiling Reduces Stress and Lowers Cortisol

A study by Kraft & Pressman (2012) found that even forcing a smile during a stressful situation reduced heart rate and lowered cortisol levels. In other words, your body interprets the act of smiling as a signal to relax, making it a useful tool for managing nerves before high-pressure situations.

Their research, titled Grin and Bear It: The Influence of Manipulated Facial Expression on the Stress Response, examined 170 participants who completed stressful tasks while holding chopsticks in their mouths to simulate different facial expressions. Those who smiled—whether they were aware of it or not—experienced lower heart rates during stress recovery. This suggests that even a subtle shift in facial expression can have measurable physiological and emotional benefits.

2. Smiling Activates Confidence-Boosting Hormones

Smiling stimulates the release of dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that contribute to feelings of well-being and self-assurance. At the same time, research in non-verbal communication (such as Amy Cuddy’s work on power poses) suggests that smiling and open body language can even increase testosterone (linked to confidence) while reducing cortisol (linked to stress). The result? A more composed, self-assured version of yourself.

3. Smiling Shapes How Others See You

Confidence isn’t just about how you feel—it’s also about how others perceive you. Studies show that people who smile are rated as more competent, approachable, and trustworthy (Oosterhof & Todorov, 2008). When you smile, you appear more in control, which in turn influences how you’re treated, reinforcing your own sense of confidence.

Additionally, when one person smiles, others around them are more likely to do so as well due to autonomic mimicry, our tendency to unconsciously mirror the facial expressions of others. A review in Trends in Cognitive Science explains that this process helps with emotion recognition and social bonding. Disruptions to this sensorimotor processing—such as facial paralysis or long-term pacifier use in childhood—can impair people’s ability to recognize and understand facial expressions. This research suggests that smiling is not just a personal tool but also a social signal that influences group dynamics and communication.

How to Use Smiling to Boost Confidence in Professional Settings

1. Before a Big Moment: Spend a minute smiling in the mirror or while taking deep breaths before stepping onto the stage or into a meeting. This can help signal to your brain that you’re in control.
2. During Conversations: Use a natural smile when speaking—it makes you appear more confident, open and approachable, which strengthens connections.
3. When Facing Nerves: Even if you don’t feel like it, make yourself smile for 20-30 seconds. This acts as a ‘confidence reset’ by triggering a physiological shift toward calmness and composure.
4. When Listening: Smiling while listening makes you seem more engaged and receptive, helping build trust and rapport. It also plays a crucial role in encouraging the speaker. As discussed in this article, audience members who smile create a supportive atmosphere that helps speakers feel more at ease and confident. Your smile can serve as a non-verbal cue that reassures the speaker and fosters a more engaging, dynamic interaction.

Smiling isn’t just about looking friendly—it’s a powerful tool for confidence and stress reduction. Whether you’re stepping into a high-stakes pitch, leading a meeting, or delivering a presentation, a simple smile can help shift your mindset, regulate stress, and make you appear more self-assured.

So, the next time you feel those nerves creeping in, remember: confidence might just be a smile away.

What’s your experience with using smiling as a confidence booster?

Have you ever noticed a difference in how you feel or how others react to you when you smile?

Helen von Dadelszen is on a mission to help professionals speak with more confidence. As the founder of the Present Potential Academy, she provides practical coaching and training on a range of speaking and presentation skills.

Her superpower is unlocking professionals' potential when they speak - whether it's in front on their industry, their board, their staff or a potential funder or client. She believes that finding the right words and matching that with a confident and professional delivery leads to success. She specialises in using the voice and body effectively and teaching pesky butterflies to fly in formation. Helen works mostly with non-native English speakers and those from academia, NGOs and the healthcare field.