Here's why keeping secrets can be harmful to your health
| Feb 13, 2019, 16:28 IST
Do you believe you're good at keeping secrets? Well, turns out that it may not be very good for your health. According to a recent study conducted, it was found that this behaviour can turn into an obsession and it most certainly won't do your health any good. "Almost everyone keeps secrets, and they may be harmful to our well-being, our relationships and our health. How secrecy brings such harm, however, is highly under-studied," said Michael L. Slepian, lead author of the study.
"Hiding a secret is largely driven by how often a person is having a conversation related to the secret with the person whom he or she is hiding it from, not how he or she feels about the secret," Slepian said. It was found that people who felt shame about their secret also felt small and powerless whereas people who felt guilt also felt more remorse tension or regret. “Unlike basic emotions, such as anger and fear, which refer to something outside of oneself, shame and guilt centre on the self,” said Slepian.
The study also found that people who felt shame were more likely to be consumed by thoughts about their secret whereas people who felt guilt were not likely to think repeatedly about the secret. “If the secret feels burdensome, try not to take it personally but recognise instead that it reflects on your behaviour, and you can change that," Slepian said. "Guilt focuses people on what to do next and so shifting away from shame toward guilt should help people better cope with their secrets and move forward."
"Hiding a secret is largely driven by how often a person is having a conversation related to the secret with the person whom he or she is hiding it from, not how he or she feels about the secret," Slepian said. It was found that people who felt shame about their secret also felt small and powerless whereas people who felt guilt also felt more remorse tension or regret. “Unlike basic emotions, such as anger and fear, which refer to something outside of oneself, shame and guilt centre on the self,” said Slepian.
The study also found that people who felt shame were more likely to be consumed by thoughts about their secret whereas people who felt guilt were not likely to think repeatedly about the secret. “If the secret feels burdensome, try not to take it personally but recognise instead that it reflects on your behaviour, and you can change that," Slepian said. "Guilt focuses people on what to do next and so shifting away from shame toward guilt should help people better cope with their secrets and move forward."