Seven Bad Habits That Are Actually Good For Your Health

You have long been chided for certain habits of yours. People find them irritating and you have begun to feel guilty about them. You have been trying hard to give up on them but habits being habits, they have a tendency to return. But have you ever given a thought to these so called bad habits?

Scientists have been coming up with researches which prove that some of these so called bad habits are actually good for your health. They may banish fatigue and lift up your mood. Certain bad habits are really BAD and cannot be endorsed. But some of them like fidgeting, forgetting to take your multivitamins, or sipping coffee, can at times be a blessing in disguise.

Here’s a list of some bad habits, which you may continue with, without feeling guilty.

1. Gossiping 

Ever noticed how light and happy you feel after chatting up for just 15 minutes with your best friend? How you were dying to share the latest gossip about your new neighbor with your friend, and how your heart soared when you saw the twinkle in your friend’s eyes when she heard about it?

Cheer up girl! You need not lose heart when others brand you as a gossip-monger.

There have been so many studies to prove that gossiping is a perfect way to squash those feelings of tension and anxiety. In fact, according to a research at Rhode Island’s Brown University, almost 96% of the participants confirmed that they felt much better after gossiping. They remained stress free for up to four hours after chatting for just 20 minutes.

Scott Haltzman, M.D., author of The Secrets of Happy Families says that women who spread positive gossip are relieved from depression by almost 72% within 3 months. Another research from University of California Berkeley confirms that gossiping is therapeutic and even prevents bad behavior.

2. Fidgeting

You are aware of the fact that you just cannot sit still. You are either doodling, or playing with your hair locks, or fiddling with your pen and irritating your companion no end. Do not feel bad about it.

Researchers from Rochester’s Mayo Clinic would like you to believe that you are actually increasing your fat-burning metabolic rate by almost 40%. A recent research has found that children, irrespective of whether they are suffering from an attention disorder or not, improve their working memory performance if they are in the habit of fidgeting or squirming. Scientists also tell us that fidgeting helps in the release of hormones similar to those produced during exercising, which act as stress-busters.

Habits Which May Look Bad But Are Actually Good For Your Health

3. Procrastinating

Are you one who keeps postponing tasks till the very end? Take heart- you are not alone. A study done by researchers from the University of Calgary, Canada, shows that almost 75% of women procrastinate once in a while. But is procrastinating bad?

Similarly, people who procrastinate by forwarding jokes from their inbox are also improving their health. A study done at the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine in Baltimore found that having a hearty laugh makes the blood vessels to release a chemical nitric oxide. This, in turn, dilates the blood vessels and helps in the reduction of blood pressure. Sharing a laugh with friends increases the levels of endorphins which aid in relieving pain and stress.

4. Going easy with the cleaning of the house and kitchen

Worried that you leave the bed unmade at times? Or that you don’t clean the kitchen pristine clear every time after you have made the dinner? There’s nothing to feel guilty about it.

A recent British study found that tucked- in sheets offer a covered breeding area to the dust mites. According to environmental and medicine expert Kenneth Rosenman, if your house is reasonably clean, its okay! If you try to kill each and every germ, you clear the way for more resistant species.

Similarly if you insist on cleaning your kitchen with antibacterial sprays on a daily basis, you remove all the harmless germs and increase the risk of getting exposed to more resistant and dangerous ones. Researchers from University of Michigan advise to clean the kitchen surfaces with warm water and regular soap and reserve the use of bleach for once a week.

5. Munching chocolates

Researchers from UCLA have shown that one food that most women crave for is chocolates. And many studies have shown that dark chocolates have a cardio-protective action. According to a study by researchers from Harvard’s, consuming 2 ounces of dark chocolate daily can reduce cholesterol by 14%.

The flavonoids present in cocoa help in reducing inflammation, and relax the blood vessels. So no need to curb your chocolate cravings!

6. Sipping coffee

According to Shelley McGuire, an associate professor of nutrition at Washington State University, coffee contains more antioxidants than any other food. It reduces inflammation, the basic problem in all types of chronic diseases.

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has found that drinking two to three cups of coffee daily can reduce the risk of depression by as much as 15%. This is because it alters the levels of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters which play a role in depression.

7. Forgetting to take your multivitamins

A new study published in Psychological Science says that multivitamins are not all that good for you. This is because, once you have popped your multivitamins, you feel there is no need to eat a healthy diet.

However, if you forget to take your multivitamins, you are extra careful about what you eat. So, in a sense, forgetting to take your multivitamins, helps in avoiding complacency.