Illustration by Elaine Liu
Letting the expletives fly isn’t just a way to cope with pain, it could actually reduce it. Researchers found that study subjects who were allowed to let loose with their language had a higher pain tolerance, less perceived pain, and lower heart rates.
And there is a benefit to choosing “choice” words. They may relieve more pain than neutral words or euphemisms. Just don’t overuse those four-letter words — that could reduce their effectiveness.
The Takeaway: If you’re really hurting, go ahead and let that f-bomb fly — it could help reduce pain.
Squeaky Clean!
Swearing not for you? Try and find your inner Zen with five minutes of meditation.
Fun Fact:
Based on the language used in tweets, states in the Mountain West(Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, etc.) swear the most.
