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If you ever find yourself chewing gum before a stressful meeting or while rushing a deadline, you might be on to something
In fact, science has revealed that chewing gum can actually help increase alertness and improved sustain focus.
A scientific study linked chewing gum at work to better productivity and fewer mental lapses. It gives your brain just enough stimulation to stay focused, which is kind of like how some of us fidget with pens or tap our feet.
Additionally, chewing gum is linked to lower stress and anxiety levels. which equates to clearer thinking.
But here's the thing, there is a "correct" time to chew gum
Chewing gum right before doing a task seems to work better than doing it during the task itself.
Researchers have found that quick five-minute chewing before the task can help boost performance, which means it's better to treat chewing gum as a warm-up routine, and not as something you do throughout the day.
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But while chewing gum is great for boosting focus, it doesn't help with every type of task
While gum works well for alertness and memory-related tasks, it may not help with things that require deep problem-solving.
In fact, chewing gum might backfire on you for tasks such as writing a complex report or planning logistics.
So basically, it helps when you need to do something that requires sustained attention or memory, but not those that require a lot of brainwork.
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And finally, the flavour of your chewing gum is also sort of important
According to the same studies, strong flavours can increase alertness, so you'll want to stay away from milder flavours if your goal is to simply improve your concentration.
To get the best results, choose flavours such as peppermint or any others that can give you a kick, which will not only help you focus, but wake you up when your energy levels are low.
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