Washing the dishes can calm and focus your mind - study

Who'd have thought washing the dishes could calm and focus you? Turns out that if it's done in a mindful way it does just that. 

Mindfulness is when you focus on the present surroundings. Instead of worrying about the future or emotional about the past, you come into the present and calm your mind. 

When done properly, the chore decreased nervousness by 27% and increased mental inspiration by 25%. 

Mindful dishwashing can decrease stress and calm the mind, a new study finds. 

People in the study focused on the smell of the soap, the feel and shape of the dishes to help them enter a mindful state. 

Doing the dishes in a mindful way also increased the pleasurable feeling of time slowing down, the researchers found. 

Mr Adam Hanley, the study’s first author, said: “I’ve had an interest in mindfulness for many years, both as a contemplative practitioner and a researcher. 

I was particularly interested in how the mundane activities in life could be used to promote a mindful state and, thus, increase overall sense of well-being.” more

Excellent. I do the dishes in the mornings. Looks like I'm onto something :)