WORDS KATHRYN BLUNDELL
Small talk isn’t just a little diversion from the tediousness of a commute or a way to avoid being the wallflower at a party. Did you know it could boost your intelligence and improve your mental and physical wellbeing?
‘On a basic level, it provides us with a connection to other humans, which helps to reduce stress hormones such as cortisol,’ says psychologist Portia Hickey. ‘Positive conversations with others, even strangers, can also release oxytocin in our brains, which helps us feel good and sleep better.’ Again, this hormone helps reduce stress – and let’s remember that, according to the latest statistics, stress accounts for 45 per cent of all working days lost to ill health, and can impair memory function.
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March/April 2017
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