Keeping secrets is harmful to health

Some secrets can be inspiring, like promotional plans and dating, but many others leave your shoulders slumped.

A Columbia Business School study looked at 13,000 secrets from 10 different studies in relation to health. They found that much of the stress wasn't about keeping the secret, but about thinking about it and obsessing over it.

In the first three studies, researchers designed secrets that participants would either learn to live with or find a way to hide.

Unlike previous lab studies with college students, this study involved participants of all ages who shared their secrets in a hidden online forum, where they were more open about sharing.

Secrets range from lying to drug addiction and infidelity. Thoughts about a partner, sexual behavior, lying and romantic desires are the most common secrets.

Most common secrets are usually revealed to at least one person but not everyone.

Most of the study participants were hiding around 13 secrets. As a result, they thought about them about 2.44 times per month in front of others. Compared to participants who didn’t share any secrets with anyone, they thought about them 4.82 times per month.

“People will predict when they will need to hide their secrets in anxiety and continue to do so, over and over again,” said study author Michael Slepian.

“Along with decreased happiness and physical health, keeping secrets also distracts them from work, affecting work efficiency,” the authors also said.

Clinical psychologist Seth Meyers says that redirecting your thoughts is the best way to deal with a problem. When you start to obsess over what you're hiding, stop and focus on the outside, listening to the sounds, how your body feels, and what you're craving. This technique will help you distract yourself and refocus on healthier thoughts.

According to Dantri