6 “Bad” Things That Can Be Good For You—based on research and not hearsay!

Last Updated on 2016-05-19 , 1:36 pm

Hopefully, this list will make you feel better.

1. Video Games
Love gaming? Spend days and days on end trying to knock other teams out in intense DotA matches? That probably won’t help your social life or your sleep levels, but research by scientists from the Office of Naval Research say that video games DO help improve reasoning and problem-solving abilities. Don’t throw this in your ma’s face when she asks you to stop after ten hours of full-on gaming, though…or she will take your Internet away.

2. Chocolates
Chocoholics, hold your head up high. If someone else tells you about how chocolate leads to weight gain and diabetes, tell them to suck it up – as long as you’re not going on the excess (as chocolates DO contain a lot of calories), having a few bars of chocolates every month helps prevent blood clots and the growth of cancerous cells. They’ve got some yay-worthy antioxidants which reduce risks of having a stroke too. Put reading this on hold and grab some chocolate – I know you want to.

3. Alcohol
Note: nope, this is not an excuse for you to get wasted every single night. The occasional beer or red wine, however, does do you good. Antioxidants such as flavonoids and resveratrol do awesome things for your heart by preventing heart disease from striking. Again, this is NOT an excuse for you to get hammered. Otherwise…yam seng!

4. Sleeping in
Sleeping in late occasionally has its benefits. I know, you probably weren’t expecting this on the list. Sleeping in late can help improve memory; not to mention aid in de-stressing. Do you know that cortisol levels peak around 7am (in which cortisol is the stress hormone that makes you…uh…stressed out)? Go ahead and sleep in occasionally without guilt – but don’t do this every day, or else your boss wouldn’t be happy.

5. Swearing
People swear a lot when something they don’t like happens to them, usually not in front of someone you respect – like your mother-in-law, or your boss. That’s smart of you (duh), but do you know swearing has its benefits? British researchers have found that swearing can reduce your perception of pain – aka making you feel stronger, alleviating your mood, and making you feel better in general. I knew it! *cheers inwardly*

6. Having a fever
I’m not exactly thrilled about this, but guess what? Research from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute show that fevers play an important part in increasing your immune system defence. This means your immune system gets better in defending your body from the bad stuff. Very cool, though not as cool for the person suffering from the fever. Important note: if you have a fever (especially a raging high one that’s got you delirious), you MUST treat it. Okay? Don’t play play.