Habit: Chewing gum
Good for: Improving concentration
It might not look very attractive, but chewing gum can help you focus. Researchers at Cardiff University discovered that when workers were given gum to chew, both their short-term and long-term memory improved, and they were able to concentrate for longer periods of time.
Habit: Swearing
Good for: Reducing pain and boosting performance
If you find yourself reaching for expletives in times of stress, don’t worry — it might be helping you! Professor Richard Stephens from Keele University, says: ‘My research has shown that swearing helps people cope with pain better. We used the ice-water challenge, which revealed that those participants who swore while holding their hand in iced water could tolerate pain for longer. Swearing can also boost performance of physical tasks.’
Habit: Being messy
Good for: Boosting creativity
Albert Einstein famously said: ‘If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?’ — and if you’re trying to come up with new ideas, or long to be creative, then maybe you should try tidying less.
Studies have shown that being messy can help the mind to come up with more creative ideas.
Habit: Taking a nap
Good for: Reducing blood pressure
If you love a daytime nap, embrace it! Research shows that a regular snooze can reduce blood pressure and give you a healthier heart.
‘Having a short nap mid-afternoon can boost your mental performance,’ says sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley. ‘It can also help you deal with stress and anxiety. But keep it short — any more than 20 minutes will make you feel groggy, and it will affect your night-time sleep.’
Habit: Fidgeting
Good for: A healthy heart
Your constant toe-tapping or leg jiggling might get on your other half’s nerves, but ignore them — it could be helping your heart!
A study showed that constantly bouncing on your toes improved heart function over those who sat still all day — and fidgeting in general could counteract the disadvantages of sitting for too long. Plus it burns lots of calories — up to 350 extra per day!
Habit: Gossiping
Good for: Reducing stress
We all know how satisfying it can be to have a good old gossip with our friends — and now it’s been revealed it can help us stay healthier too! Scientists in Italy found that after gossiping, the feel-good hormone oxytocin is released in the body. Not only that, but it also reduces our levels of the stress hormone cortisol, leaving us more relaxed.
Habit: Drinking coffee
Good for: Helping you live longer
We Brits have become a nation of coffee lovers — we get through a whopping 95 million cups a day. A joint study by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Health found that coffee is associated with a lower risk of early death — especially among those who drank between six and seven cups a day. Thanks to the high levels of its antioxidant polyphenols, it helps to keep the heart healthier and boosts metabolism.
Habit: A daily glass of wine
Good for: Improving heart health
If you love your evening glass of wine once the kids are in bed, you’re not alone — and it could be doing you good.
Studies show that drinking one to two glasses of wine (preferably red) improves heart health and the circulatory system, as well as protecting against type 2 diabetes and gallstones. But stick to the limit, otherwise the downsides — increased risk of cancer and liver disease — outweigh the benefits.
Habit: Not making your bed
Good for: Reducing allergies
If you’re always telling your kids off for leaving their beds unmade, stop — because chances are their beds will be cleaner and healthier for leaving the sheets and duvet crumpled.
This is because dust mites and bed bugs only survive in damp environments. By leaving your bed unmade and opening the window, the sheets will be too warm and dry for them to survive.