Smiling more often may make you feel happier, study says

Smiling more often -- even if you don't feel like it -- might actually make you feel happier, a newly release study found.

According to a report published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Human Behavior, triggering certain facial muscles by smiling can "trick" your brain into thinking you're happy.

Nearly 3,900 people participants spanning 19 countries "indicated that a facial mimicry and voluntary facial action task could both amplify and initiate feelings of happiness," the study said. "However, evidence of facial feedback effects was less conclusive when facial feedback was manipulated unobtrusively via a pen-in-mouth task."

The mechanics of exactly how aren't known yet but researchers believe the sensation is rooted in the mind-body connection.

The effect was not found to be strong enough to overcome intense feelings of depression, but it does provide useful insight into what emotions are and where they stem from.