Have you ever found yourself letting out a curse word or two while stuck in traffic, or after someone cut you off while driving? Perhaps you swear but sometimes even feel guilty for it, as it’s long been frowned upon.

Swearing is often considered taboo because it historically challenges religious, moral and social norms. Many societies in the past have linked swearing to blasphemy or sin. Certain words have been regarded as offensive to God, others or to community norms. It’s also commonly labeled “impolite” or “crass” given that it supposedly breaks rules of polite conversation. Many people even believe that using curse words in public reflects poor upbringing or lack of self-control.

Altogether, the idea that swearing is unhealthy has been reinforced in more ways than one.

But, that being said, swearing isn’t inherently bad. It’s often simply an emotional reaction; it’s how your mind and body might react instinctively to sudden frustration or stress.

From this perspective, swearing isn’t a direct reflection of your character or manners. It can be healthy when used as a natural release of tension. However, this does not mean you overuse it or direct it toward others in a way that disrespects them.

But, in moderation, swearing can help manage frustration from small irritations, momentarily, without reflecting poorly on your character.

A 2024 study published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology explored whether repeating swear words could influence physical performance, attention and one’s emotional state. The researchers studied these effects through observation and measurements of brain activity.

In the experiment, each participant completed two conditions. First, they repeated a swear word or a neutral word aloud for 10 seconds. After each repetition, participants performed a grip strength task and an arrowhead flanker task to measure attention. They also completed questionnaires assessing mood and motivation.

At the same time, their brain activity was recorded throughout. This approach allowed the researchers to compare the effects of swearing versus neutral word repetition on both behavioral and neural measures.

Based on the findings of the 2024 study, here are two ways swearing can actually be beneficial.

1. Swearing Boosts Physical Strength

Aside from helping you vent your frustration, the researchers behind the 2024 study found that repeating a swear word for just 10 seconds can actually improve physical performance.

In the study, participants were asked to repeat either a swear word or a neutral word before performing a grip strength task. Those who swore were able to generate more force and grip strength compared to when they repeated a neutral word. This suggests that swearing triggers a boost, which allows the body to perform better in a short-term physical task.

Interestingly enough, prior research also highlights how swearing influences how we perceive and tolerate pain.

This was studied by comparing English speakers, who commonly swear in response to pain, with Japanese speakers, who rarely do.

Researchers from the study highlighted that swearing may act as a learned “script” to help the body cope with discomfort. Consequently, English speakers tend to tolerate more pain and feel less sensitivity when swearing. Japanese participants, who differ in this cultural script, did not experience the same relief.

This depicts that, along with boosting short-term physical performance, swearing may also help the body handle strain or discomfort more effectively. In essence, swearing serves as a tool that helps the body summon extra strength and manage discomfort when it’s most needed.

2. Swearing Improves Mood And Focus

Along with its impact on the body, the researchers of the 2024 study found that swearing can bring about significant positive changes in mindset.

Repeating a swear word increased distraction and novelty in the study. This might sound counterintuitive, but actually reflects a state of heightened attentional engagement. So, when participants swore, they became more mentally activated and alert.

This eventually can enhance focus on the task at hand. Essentially, swearing appears to shift attention and cognitive resources toward the most salient action. In the case of this study, swearing helped the participants’ minds to stay engaged and sharp, leading to enhanced performance.

Beyond enhancing focus, swearing can also influence emotional and cognitive states in ways that further boost performance.

A similar 2022 study aimed to explore how swearing affects physical performance and psychological states. Researchers investigated whether repeating swear words could enhance strength, mood, humor, focus and self-confidence. They conducted two experiments for this purpose.

The results were consistent. Swearing showed improved physical performance in both experiments. Additionally, the second experiment found that swearing increased psychological factors like flow states, positive mood, humor, distraction and self-confidence. This also supports the idea that swearing can momentarily activate mental states that reduce inhibition and allow the body and mind to perform at a higher level.

You might be conditioned to think swearing is bad. But the next time the urge arises, remember that you might just benefit from this little release of anger.

Learn To Be Intentional With Your Words

When you feel frustrated or overwhelmed by the tasks of the day, let yourself release your emotions in a healthy, yet accessible way. Swearing, in this sense, is not wrong. Sometimes, momentary relief is quite necessary, as it prevents your emotions from spilling over into the wrong situation or being directed at someone else.

It is, however, very important to remember to use the power of swearing from a place of intentionality, rather than in excess and loosely.

Directing it aggressively at others can undermine its benefits and strain relationships. But, a well-timed word, when slipped in within your own space, can help lighten your mental load and then sharpen attention.

Try pairing this brief vent with a few other mindful tools, such as taking a deep breath, stretching your body or even stepping away for a few moments of silence.

In moderation, you can transform what’s often dismissed as crass into a practical tool for mental and physical balance. Honor your instincts while maintaining awareness of their limits. As you do so, a little curse word here and there can be your ally, rather than a source of shame.

Are you swearing too much or keeping all your frustration bottled up? Understand how you respond to anger by taking this quick science-based test: Anger Management Scale

A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes.com, here.