Thanks to Skillshare for supporting this episode
of SciShow. [♪ INTRO] We’ve all got bad habits. It’s kinda part of the whole ‘being human’
package. We might even feel kind of bad about not breaking
those habits sometimes. Well, I’m here to tell you to stop feeling
guilty!... Kind of. it turns out some of the things we rag on
ourselves for doing might not be so bad after all. Scientists have found surprising upsides to
things like swearing and biting your nails. So let’s take a closer look at the research
behind five so-called “bad” habits. If you’re one of those people that just
has to crack their knuckles before you get down to business, you might have been told
to stop so you don’t wreck your fingers. A whole lot of people believe that cracking
your knuckles damages your joints, and that can lead to arthritis. But that isnot true! That factoid was based on a study from 1990 that mistakenly concluded that knuckle cracking
resulted in ‘functional hand impairment’. That research was criticized for not being
controlled well, meaning the conclusions couldn’t be trusted. But, it did manage to kick off a whole lot
of follow up studies that showed us that, actually, it doesn’t hurt your joints at
all. For example, studies have found older people
with a history of knuckle cracking don’t have any more knuckle degeneration
than those that don’t. One doctor even cracked just one hand for
five decades —which, can I just say, is some serious
commitment to science and also will power, once I star, I have to do them all— and there ended up being no differences between
his hands in terms of pain or function. The only effect cracking seems to have is
that it opens up the joint’s range of motion a little. The sound might make you think something is
being forced back into place, so it’s kind of understandable that people
might think a tendon or bone or something is physically snapping. But, that’s not what’s happening. Ultrasounds of the base joint of fingers—known
as the metacarpophalangeal joint, or MPJ— have showed that when a joint cracks, a bubble
rapidly forms and then collapses in the synovial fluid, the stuff between the bones that keeps them
lubricated. That bubble popping — or, maybe the creation
of the bubble, we’re not 100% sure — is what makes the sound. So crack away! Unless it’s causing you phsyical pain. In which case, don’t do that. Even if cracking itself doesn’t cause damage,
damaged joints can start to pop and hurt. So if something’s painful, go get that checked
out. Gum chewing can also get a bad rap. People say it’s bad for your teeth, and
well, frankly, it’s just annoying if a person does it loudly. No one wants to hear **chewing noises** from
the next cubicle over. And you’re just like I have to be here for
8 more hours! But it turns out chewing is kind of awesome
for you— especially if you’re trying to be productive. Studies have found that the act of chewing
gum is associated with enhanced attention and work performance. Which is maybe why we do it, because otherwise,
why do we do this? And weirdly enough, that research didn’t
just find that chewing gum gives you an attentional boost. The speed and force with which you chew affects
just how much benefit you get. Chewing too fast seems to slow your reaction
speed a little —slow but steady is the key. And chewing relatively hard is associated
with faster information processing. Studies have also found that things like cortisol
levels and heart rate increase when you’re chewing, and that in turn supports the idea that the
act of chewing gum makes people more alert. Some researchers think these effects could
be attributed to minty flavors. It’s possible they’re just super refreshing
and wake people up, kind of like a mini cold shower for your mouth. But that’s definitely not the whole story. Some studies have found that things like quicker
reaction times in gum chewers, even if the gum they’re chewing is flavorless. And in one study with flavorless gum, brain
scans showed increased activation in the anterior cingulate cortex and left frontal gyrus of
the chewers — areas that are related to attention and motor
control. This suggests that chewing really does alter
your brain’s ability to focus. As for why chewing has this effect, well We don’t know There are theories — like, that it’s causing
increased blood flow to the brain, or that the action itself is just super soothing
and stress relieving. But however it works, make sure to chew sugar-free
gum. Because those naysayers are right that chewing
gum can harm your teeth if it’s loaded with bacteria food. Sugar-free gum doesn’t cause the same damage,
and has even been shown to reduce plaque— as long as long as you are brushing regularly,
as well. You should not think that chewing is a replacement
for brushing your teeth and flossing If the words that escape your lips when you
stub your toe would make your mom clutch her pearls, I’ve got some good news for you! Swearing a lot might indicate some nice things
about you, and it will probably help with that owie. You might think people who swear just don’t
have better words to use, but research has shown that potty mouths actually
have larger vocabularies. That is, except when those swears consist
mostly of sexist slurs. Turns out female-sex-related slurs have transitioned
into our everyday lexicon in recent decades. That means people that reach for those particular
curses don’t have to dig as deep into their vocabulary, so saying them doesn’t signal verbal ability. Shocker, I know. Actually surprisingly, though, researchers have found that dropping a couple
of choice phrases at the right moment might provide all sorts of benefits from stress relief to improved social relations. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Managerial
Psychology reported wide use of swears in the workplace
by lawyers, medical professionals and business executives. When interviewed, their 52 participants stated
that cursing was useful in a wide range of settings, like to indicate you’re close with your
colleagues, and to show that you’re passionate. And this idea that swearing helps cement bonds
between people is especially intriguing since psychologists have also found that swearing
correlates with measures of honesty. Think about it — if you’re being honest about the sheer intensity
of your feelings, like when you think something is super freaking remarkable, you may be more ready to reach for an f-bomb
than someone who’s not being genuine. So it’s possible that part of the reason
swearing promotes bonding is because it signals that you’re being real with the person. That same 2017 study also found swearing provided
some stress relief to tense working conditions — introducing a fun, less intense atmosphere. And on top of all of that, studies have shown
cursing can actually dull pain and make you more resistant. Like, people can keep their hands in icy water
for longer, or squeeze a joystick harder when they’re
swearing than when they’re saying other, non-taboo words. There’s no complete consensus on why this
effect happens, but some evidence suggests that saying bad
words activates your fight or flight response, and therefore, triggers a flood of chemicals
that help act tougher up in scary situations. So, it seems swearing has its benefits, even
at work. But still, maybe don’t risk it while the
boss is around, unless you know they’re cool with it. Also it’s probably best if it’s an occasional
thing, rather than every other word. A lot of people don’t even realize when
they’re biting their nails. It becomes so ingrained because they started
doing it as a kid. And it turns out developing that habit in
childhood actually has health advantages. Research has shown that people who chewed
their nails and/or sucked their thumb as kids are less likely to develop allergies in their
teens, and even in their 30s! That’s because there’s a lot of... Well, grossness, on your hands. Especially under your fingernails. In addition to flecks of whatever you’ve
touched, your grubby fingers can sport mold, yeast, Staphylococcus epidermidis... things you probably wouldn’t choose to eat
if it was on a menu. But that’s kind of a good thing, at least
from an immunology perspective. Scientists have found that exposure to such
things in small amounts can help keep your immune system from developing
an allergic response to them. Basically, if your body has seen it all before
and knows these common things won’t kill you, it doesn’t freak out when it sees them later
on. And since a little childhood finger sucking
or nail nibbling means you ingest more of this stuff in your younger years, you don’t end up with as many allergies
when you grow up. If you’re older, though, sorry to break
it to you, but you’re probably not getting all that much in the way of benefits from
your bad habit. In fact, doctors recommend you don’t chew
your nails at all as an adult. All that nibbling can cause cracks in the
skin, which could then let harmful bacteria in, putting you at a greater risk for infection. Studies have also found that the positions
you have to wrangle your jaw into to gnaw on your nails can even lead to lasting dysfunction in the
temporomandibular joint, or TMJ. And that comes with a whole host of not-so-fun
symptoms, like jaw pain, popping while chewing, headaches and difficulty opening wide. So adults, by all means keep your nails trimmed,
but just, maybe, not with your teeth. Listening to someone complain all day is no
fun, and more often than not, no good for your mood. But it can be the opposite if you’re the
one complaining. Having a good rant can lead to catharsis — basically, the letting out of frustrations
and stress, lifting your mood. It can even make others like you more, in
certain circumstances. A study from 2002 suggests that airing grievances
with a person can make your bond seem closer and cause them to re-evaluate how close you
are. In a good way, that is. The study found that both the complainer and
the person they complained about reported liking each other more after complaints were
brought up up face to face when compared with instances where complaints
had been shared with a third party. The thing is, while complaining does have
some benefits, it’s more of an art than a science. People aren’t always going to respond to
griping with positivity. It may even push people away, especially if
you become a help-rejecting complainer. I mean, I get it. Sometimes you just want to gripe and have
people tell you it sucks. And that’s totally understandable. But, many people find it hard to sympathize
with someone who refuses help for their troubles, so after a while it might mean that your complaints
start to fall on deaf ears. Complaining can also sometimes function as
rumination. That’s when you focus on negative thoughts
and just can’t seem to stop turning over the same sucky ideas over and over. It’s a real downer, to say the least. And some research has found that giving voice
to our frustrations by complaining can give them a second wind, dragging us back down
into negative emotions, whereas just taking it in your stride and
moving on means you never have to think of it again. That said, don’t let that convince you to
bottle it all up. Letting out our negative emotions is healthy,
and often recommended by therapists. There you have it—five bad habits that aren’t
always bad. I mean, sure, maybe not all your habits are
great for you all the time. And yeah, some habits are kinda gross. Or irritating. Or put mold inside your mouth But does that stop us from doing those things? No, not really. Of course, if you want to change your habits
anyway, more power to ya! Just know that I’m agoing to keep cracking
my knuckles. Maybe you want to establish habits with a
little more weight to them. Maybe you want to try your hand at being more
productive, and managing your time more efficiently. Skillshare has lots of courses on productivity
and project management that might be able to help you out. Skillshare is an online learning community
for creative folks, with more than 25,000 classes in everything from photography and
illustration to business. For example, in his course on “Productivity
Habits that Stick,” Mike Varney teaches you some tips for how to divide up your time
by different themes, to help you choose when to do certain tasks
and get everything done more efficiently. More than 7 million creators are learning
with Skillshare. And the first 500 SciShow subscribers to use
the link in the description will get a 2 month free trial, so you can take it for a test
drive and see if it’s right for you. [ OUTRO ]
