There Are Health Benefits To Being Lazy
Sometimes we just feel like being lazy and chilling on the couch instead of tackling tasks on our to-do lists. While we may feel guilty for not being productive at…
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Prostock-Studio/ Getty ImagesSometimes we just feel like being lazy and chilling on the couch instead of tackling tasks on our to-do lists. While we may feel guilty for not being productive at all times, we shouldn’t because downtime is actually a good thing, according to Yahoo. “Taking a break to do something you find pleasurable can trigger the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, which are associated with feelings of pleasure and happiness,” explains psychologist Sanam Hafeez.
These are some of the health benefits to being lazy:
- Enhanced creativity - Resting and relaxing give your brain time to wander and make new connections, Hafeez says, which can foster creativity. Research backs that up, including a 2022 study that finds watching nature videos is associated with the promotion of alpha brain waves, which are linked to relaxation, creativity and daydreaming.
- Heightened brainpower - Another study finds that older adults who spent more time sitting performed well on knowledge-based activities, like vocabulary and reasoning tasks. Researchers conclude it could be thanks to the fact that sedentary time is often used for brain-stimulating activities, like reading and crossword puzzles.
- Stronger relationships - Chilling out and watching shows and movies can help build a connection with others as you talk about what you watch and bond over similar interests. Those discussions can lead to a surge of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes bonding and has anti-stress effects like lowering blood pressure and levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.
- Reduced burnout - Working all the time without taking breaks can lead to burnout, while making time to disconnect from work helps us recharge our mental and emotional energy. That helps us be more productive when we get back to tasks we need to accomplish.
But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Spending too much time being lazy has downsides for our mental and physical health. Not getting enough regular physical activity can lead to heart disease and raise the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, according to the CDC. So moderation is key when it comes to downtime, like it is with so many things in life.
If you love the idea of being Lazy, check out these lazy girl jobs Tiktok is buzzing about!
How Healthy Is The Charlotte Metro Area Compared To The Rest of North Carolina?
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps recently released their 2023 rankings. The goal of CHR&R is to "bring actionable data, evidence, guidance and stories to support community-led efforts to grow community power and improve health equity." It is created by The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI). For 2023 the rankings focused on "the connection between civic health and thriving people and places." So how healthy is Charlotte and the surrounding area compared to the rest of the state?
First, we need to know exactly what we are looking at. On the County Health Rankings website, you can filter by a wide range of metrics. Right now we are looking at the rankings based on Health Outcomes. These rankings tell us how long people live on average within a community. As well as how much physical and mental health people experience in a community while they are alive. These rankings are out of the state, so for the counties in the Charlotte Metro Area that are in North Carolina you will see a number/100 for 100 counties. For South Carolina its /46. The only counties to make the top 5 in their respective states were Union and York. But Mecklenburg was right on the edge of that. Some of the surrounding counties didn't fare as well.
Keep reading to see how the Charlotte Metro Area counties ranked and which are the most healthy. Get more info and data here.
North Carolina
Mecklenburg
Ranking: 6/100
Alexander
Ranking: 38/100
Cabarrus
Ranking: 11/100
Cleveland
Ranking: 83/100
Davidson
Ranking: 44/100
Gaston
Ranking: 58/100
Iredell
Ranking: 16/100
Lincoln
Ranking: 24/100
Rowan County
Ranking: 64/100
Stanley
Ranking: 63/100
Union
Ranking: 3/100
South Carolina
Chester County
Ranking: 38/46
Chesterfield
Ranking: 30/46
Lancaster
Ranking: 14/46
York
Ranking: 2/46
