“Washing dishes is all about restoring, bringing something back to its original state. The vessels go back to their squeaky, shiny state, and the kitchen to its sanitised, spotlessly clean self. Then, all is right again in the mortal world.”
When we hear the word chore, we probably think of a tiresome unwanted task. That’s probably justified because most dictionaries define it in that way: A job or piece of work that is often boring or unpleasant but needs to be done regularly.
That said, have you ever forced yourself to get up and do a chore, and halfway through you realise that you are actually enjoying it? Whether it be cleaning or washing dishes, chores have mental benefits, and that’s a good reason why we should love to do them.
Here are the benefits of washing dishes.
- Stress-Relieving
Washing dishes gives you a sense of calm that isn’t easy to achieve. You have probably experienced this. Something is bothering you and you experience anxiety, and then for one reason or the other, you have to do the dishes. While doing this, you realise that you are now relaxed.
Well, Psychologist, Dr. Aric Sigman found that doing the dishes can have a similar effect on one’s mental health as visiting a spa. Researchers have found that people who washed dishes mindfully ( focused on smelling the soap, feeling the water temperature and touching the dishes) upped their feelings of inspiration by 25% and lowered their nervousness levels by 27%.
- Boosts immunity
Washing your dishes by hand improves your body’s ability to resist diseases. Researchers have found that people who hand-washed dishes had children with lower incidences of allergies and asthma.
Back in 2015, researchers hypothesized that our immune systems can benefit from getting a little dirty. They claimed that kids today have more allergies because their environments are too clean. Another article published on Time Magazine concluded that if you are exposed to microbes, especially early in life, you stimulate the immune system in various ways and it becomes tolerant.
- Washing dishes is meditative
We live in a very fast-paced world. We’re constantly on the move, trying to make money and meet the demands of life. The importance of meditation should then be emphasized because it allows us to confront our feelings and our thoughts. Washing dishes is one such activity that could cleanse our minds. Washing dishes can be a convenient detox for overwrought minds.
Health And Fitness: 7 Positive Effects Of Meditation
- Boosts creativity
Isn’t it fascinating that some of the things we do on a day-to-day basis have a great mental impact? Well, washing dishes is certainly one of the things. It boosts creativity and inspiration. A Florida State University study found that students who were primed to be mindful while washing dishes saw a boost in inspiration. Concentrating on the feeling of the warm water or the smell of the soap stimulated the brain.
- Teaches kids life skills
If you are privileged enough to own a dishwasher, then you need to ditch it every once in a while and engage your children in hand dishwashing. Why? The kids may grow up and move out to a place of their own, and then it will become necessary to wash their own dishes by hand. Washing dishes makes a person responsible because they will be conscious enough not to pile up too many dishes in the sink. It teaches them skills such as planning and proper time management.
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