Start to see healthy living differently

Actually, yes. Expressing yourself can boost self-esteem.

Research confirms that clothing choices can make a profound impact on someone’s mood, confidence and behaviour, particularly when it’s their preferred colour, style and fit.

That’s right. Kissing can burn calories.

Kissing involves different facial muscles to help move your cheeks, lips and mouth, with the orbicularis oris being the main skeletal muscle used. Simple kisses use as few as 2 muscles, where passionate kissing can involve as up to 34 facial muscles and 112 postural muscles. Kissing consumes between 5 and 26 calories per minute.

Chewing gum can boost concentration.

A focus study tested to see how accurately and quickly gum-chewers were able to solve simple math problems. The results showed that gum-chewers had quicker reaction times and more accurate results than non gum-chewers. This suggests that chewing gum can help us focus on tasks that require concentration over longer amounts of time.

It can. Green is calming in multiple ways.

Research on the elderly found that the average blood pressure in a control group decreased after being given green colour therapy. Further studies on the psychology of the colour green indicate that green can trigger a sense of calmness and relaxation with therapeutic effects.

You heard it here first. ASMR can improve cognitive abilities.

ASMR has been suggested to improve cognitive abilities, like attentional performance or decision making. One study showed how ASMR videos activated brain areas related to sensation, emotion, motor skills and attention, suggesting that ASMR is not confined to sensory or emotional experiences.

Standing tall can uplift your mood.

Participants in a stress study were selected to walk in an upright or slumped posture. Those who walked upright showed significantly improved psychological states including less sleepiness, less pain, and marginally greater feelings of power than the slumped walking group. Physiologically, the upright group showed significantly lower systolic blood pressure and lower skin temperature as well.

Actually, yes. Doodling boosts brain power.

Doodling has been shown to boost brain activity, improve focus, memory and recall. One study found that those who doodled during a 2-1/2 minute rambling voicemail recalled 29% more information than the non-doodlers.

Yes! — Walking backwards (safely) improves brain health.

Walking backward is less familiar and more complex than forward walking, requiring greater attention, coordination, and balance. This heightened demand engages cognitive processes related to executive function and working memory. Even just imagining moving backwards is known to improve the ability to recall information.

Eating kiwis can improve sleep quality.

After 4 weeks of kiwi consumption where participants ate 2 kiwifruits 1 hour before bedtime, a study found that total sleep time and sleep efficiency were significantly increased. It was concluded that kiwi consumption may improve sleep onset, duration, and efficiency in adults with self-reported sleep disturbances.

Beatboxing can help strengthen and protect your voice from injury.

Research evaluating if beatboxing can protect the vocal chords found that unlike singing, participants who beatboxed had several unique and interesting anatomical processes. It was documented that beatboxing uses the entire vocal tract, including the pharyngeal constrictors, which may protect against glottic inury.

Birdwatching can help your memory soar.

According to a study that examined memory in birdwatchers, having expert knowledge in a subject helps us memorize new information. This is because expert knowledge provides better mental organizational structures in our brain, which helps keep new information distinct and memorable from each other (in this case, similar-looking birds).

Sunshine can strengthen your immune system.

In a laboratory study, scientists found that low levels of blue light, found in sun rays, can help T-cells (a type of white blood cell that protects the body from infection) move faster. This discovery has shined a light on blue light and T-cells, as we now know that blue light can help our immune cells protect the body more efficiently.

Rain can help you focus.

A study on sound tested if certain sounds had a greater impact on one’s focus while completing arithmetic calculations. The test found that listening to rain improved performance and reaction times. It was also noted that rain was more effective than other sounds such as slow music (due to its relaxing properties) and agitating music (as it interfered with attentional capacities).

They do. Watching nature videos helps lower stress.

Research suggests that engaging with nature, even virtually, whether through photos, 3D images, virtual reality and videos of natural landscapes can trigger a relaxed body response, reducing physiological markers of stress.

Being hand in hand can shake stress away.

After examining 136 participants on handshakes and its impact on stress levels, significant decreases in cortisol (our stress hormone) were found after participants performed a handshake. Further, findings suggest that even a brief handshake in a professional setting can also reduce stress.

VR exergaming can lower blood pressure.

A 6-week workout study on adults aged 65+ compared virtual reality exercise gaming (VR exergaming) with regular physical actitivity training. The study found that VR exergaming led to a significant reduction in blood pressure and increased heart rate during VR exercise. The study noted that VR exergaming didn’t outperform regular training and shouldn’t be a complete substitute to regular exercise, but can be used in combination.