Washing dishes, dusting and other common chores lower stress, heart disease

ISLAMABAD - Why washing dishes, making your bed, dusting, and other common chores can lower stress, boost happiness, and protect against heart disease. You’ll never look at your To-Do list the same way again.

Dusting with a lemon cleaner makes you happier

A citrusy scent is a potent mood booster, according to a 2014 Japanese study. When participants spent as little as ten minutes inhaling yuzu (a super-tart and citrusy Japanese fruit), they saw a significant decrease in their overall mood disturbance, a measure of tension, anxiety, depression, confusion, fatigue and anger.

Making your bed every day boosts productivity

Starting your day with a freshly made bed is a “keystone habit”, the one that has a ripple effect to create other good behaviour. Making your bed every morning is linked to better productivity, a greater sense of well-being, and stronger skills at sticking to a budget. Bed makers also report getting a better night’s sleep than those who leave their covers messy in the morning.

Cleaning the kitchen loses weight

A recent study showed that people with super-cluttered homes were 77 percent more likely to be overweight or obese. The likely reason: It’s harder to make healthy food choices in a chaotic kitchen.

Growing flowers and vegetables lowers depression risk

Study proves that gardening helps mitigate depression. Doing a new activity and being outside in nature can certainly help, but some experts believe that dirt itself might be a depression fighter.

Mowing the lawn makes you more joyful

There’s something to that grassy scent. Australian researchers discovered that a chemical released by freshly cut grass makes people feel more relaxed and more joyful.-Online