George from Seinfeld isn’t exactly someone we’d want to emulate. (Well, except taking secret desk naps; that sounds awesome.) But according to a new study published in Nature.com’s Scientific Reports, George was actually onto something with his whole talking-in-third-person thing. In fact, we should all be doing it as much as possible.
Hear us out: Researchers found that referring to yourself in third person is actually an amazing stress reliever. (Quick seventh-grade English class recap: Third person is when the perspective is he, she, it or they, like “George is getting upset” or “George likes spicy chicken.”)
It works like this: When you step outside your own bubble and start treating yourself the way you’d treat other people, you’re less likely to be hard on yourself and much more apt to think objectively about the problem at hand. (Just maybe do this silently to yourself at home, not at an important meeting with your boss.)
So say it with us: [insert your name here] is taking a page from George Costanza today.
