Swearing can actually be good for you, so says a new study, and this is very welcome news to be quite honest.
When only the filthiest words will do (like when we stub our toe and no other word will cut it), it's good to know that having a potty mouth can actually help our mental health too.
According to the study, compiled by women's wellness app Clementine, swearing helps us to handle pain and problems in a much better way.
Having a potty mouth has also helped more than a quarter of people to stay motivated during lockdown. Winner!
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And two fifths of Brits admit that swearing at themselves has boosted their enthusiasm. A huge 41 per cent gave themselves this unique and interesting pep talk.
Others found that shouting profanities was a helpful way of coping with stress. 36 per cent of people asked were able to cope with their stress better by swearing, while just over a quarter of Brits (27 per cent) said it helped them to feel better when they were having a bad day.
Self-confessed 'sweary scientist' and language expert Dr Emma Byrne explained how swearing was good for the brain.
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"Swearing engages both sides of your brain," she revealed, "the language centre in the left brain and the emotional centre in the right brain, and the positive impact of this is far-reaching.
"Dependent on the situation, profanity can serve as a painkiller, mood-booster or even social bonding tool," she added.
"Research also shows that women are just as partial to a bit of swearing as men - meaning all of us can benefit. I'm not surprised that more people are turning to bad language in 2020.
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"Swear words pack an emotional punch that other parts of language just can't match."
So what are our profanities of choice? The nation's favourite swearwords, according to the study, are f*** (69 per cent), s**t (62 per cent) and b******s (32 per cent).
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