A gossip with girlfriends is 'good for you'

It's easy to feel guilty for having a gossip but experts suggest a bit of tittle-tattle could reduce stress and anxiety

It's easy to feel guilty for having a gossip but experts suggest a bit of tittle-tattle could reduce stress and anxiety.

According to a new study, a good chinwag is healthy, enhancing our well-being and providing social cohesion.

And it's not surprising that the survey found women are particularly prone to a good gossip with 85 per cent of us relishing a juicy bit of news and one in 10 admitting they find it hard to keep a secret to themselves.

"Gossiping boosts levels of positive hormones like serotonin, reducing stress and anxiety," says psychologist Dr Colin Gill.

"When we gossip, we're taking an interest in what other people have to say and vice versa, and bonding with them makes us feel happier, releasing those feel-good chemicals."

And more than just boosting our mood, Dr Gill says gossip often involved a lot of laughter and so gives us a bit of a muscle work-out too.

Sharing salacious titbits with others is a habit dating back to the caveman era, and is just as necessary today in terms of exchanging social information about people within the group.

"It's a good way of finding out what kinds of behaviour are socially acceptable in your group," says Dr Gill. "If somebody raises an eyebrow as they tell you something about somebody else, you modify your behaviour accordingly."

We want YOUR views - can a gossip help the working day fly by? Or is gossiping a dangerous game? Tell all, in the box below.

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