Many of us try to control ourselves when we get upset or stressed out, trying our best to avoid swearing or getting out of control – especially if there are kids around. However, as it turns out, swearing can be pretty good for stress relief.
Recent studies have shown that having some time to curse and throw around swears every now and again can help you relieve a lot of stress at once, bringing you back to a normal mood where you can operate efficiently.
One of the most surprising side effects of swearing that was found in some studies was that it made you less likely to feel physical pain. For example, when you stub a toe, your initial reaction may be to let out a few swears, and somehow, it starts to feel better.
This works the same way with stress and any internal conflicts you might be having. Something you do need to watch out for is that you do it in appropriate times and places only.
You might be feeling pretty stressed out at work, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to suddenly start throwing curses around loudly. Another situation you might want to avoid might even be at home, in front of people like children who might be sensitive to outbursts like that.
While it can help you, you need to make sure you don’t do it in such a way that it stresses someone else out in turn. This also doesn’t mean that you should swear at every minor inconvenience.
Physical pain and high stress can be helped with swearing, but if you’re getting mad over some traffic every day, then you’re probably going to find that the positive effect that swearing has on you will begin to wear off.
Instead, save it for when you really feel as though you need it. It’s also best if you pick and choose your swear words somewhat carefully. Some are a lot more inoffensive than others, so choose wisely, especially if there are other people around.
The last thing you’d want is to get into a whole argument with someone over a swear you used, which would only cause more stress. In most facets of life though, swearing is an amazing coping mechanism.
It can help us feel less pain and stress, which allows us the time we need to struggle through things and make the best decisions we can to deal with it. See if you can use it strategically to help, rather than increase your stress load.
