After a tiring day at work, the tactics we use to reduce accumulated stress and relax can be the most varied : going to the gym, opening a bottle of wine, watching our favorite series, taking our pet for a walk … Now , a new study from the School of Psychology at Florida State University (USA) has added one more: washing the dishes.
Washing dishes is a conscious attitude in which focusing our attention on the warmth of the water, the touch of the dishes or glasses and the smell of the soap we use, can trigger a positive mood. This is the conclusion of the experiment they carried out with 5 1 college students who were asked to do the dishes throughout a day .
” I was particularly interested in how everyday life activities could be used to promote awareness and thus increase the overall sense of well-being, ” explains study co-author Adam Hanley.
The participants were divided into two groups : the first group was asked to read a descriptive passage about how to wash the dishes before doing it and the other group was asked to read a descriptive text in which the key focused on the importance of concentrating in the task of washing dishes. After assessing their state of attention after the task, the group that had focused (and concentrated) on washing the dishes and its surroundings experienced a more positive mental state than the control group : a 27% reduction in nervousness and a 25% increase in inspiration.
Researchers are convinced that mindfulness to this activity forces us to omit negative or distracting thoughts to allow the feelings of the present moment to be brought into the present plane. This reduces our level of anxiety and stress -reduces the risk of depression- and also contributes to improving the quality of sleep.
The study has been published in the journal Mindfulness .
