4/13/2017 Chore or stress reliever: Study suggests that washing dishes decreases stress - Florida State University News

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Choreorstressreliever:Studysuggeststhatwashingdishes
decreasesstress
PUBLISHED:SEPTEMBER30,2015(HTTP://NEWS.FSU.EDU/NEWS/HEALTHMEDICINE/2015/09/30/CHORESTRESSRELIEVERSTUDYSUGGESTSWASHINGDISHESDECREASES
STRESS/)|2:25PM|SHARE:

Washingthosedreadfuldishesafteralongdayseemslikethefurthestthingfrom
relaxation.Orisit?
StudentandfacultyresearchersatFloridaStateUniversityhavefoundthat
mindfullywashingdishescalmsthemindanddecreasesstress.

PublishedinthejournalMindfulness
(http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s1267101403609),thestudy
lookedatwhetherwashingdishescouldbeusedasaninformalcontemplative
practicethatpromotesapositivestateofmindfulnessameditativemethodof
focusingattentionontheemotionsandthoughtsofthepresentmoment.

Ivehadaninterestinmindfulnessformanyyears,bothasacontemplative
practitionerandaresearcher,saidAdamHanley,adoctoralcandidateinFSU
CollegeofEducationsCounseling/SchoolPsychologyprogramandoneofthe
studysauthors.Iwasparticularlyinterestedinhowthemundaneactivitiesinlife
couldbeusedtopromoteamindfulstateand,thus,increaseoverallsenseofwell
being.

Afterconductingastudywith51students,theresearchersfoundthatmindfuldishwashersthosewhofocusedonthesmellofthesoap,the
warmthofthewater,thefeelofthedishesreportedadecreaseinnervousnessby27percentandanincreaseinmentalinspirationby25percent.
Thecontrolgroup,ontheotherhand,didntexperienceanybenets.

TheresearchteamalsoincludedAliaWarnerandVincentDelhili,doctoralcandidatesatFloridaState;AngelaCanto,assistantprofessoratFlorida
State;andEricGarland,associateprofessoratUniversityofUtah.

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